Digimon: Darkness Rises
by nstar93
Summary: Nora doesn't understand how she got here. Kari can't help but feel like her nightmare is becoming real. Jeri is finally able to put the gruesome past with the D Reaper and Leomon's death behind her. But a new, dark force is in the Digital World and it will require several generations of Chosen children to come and save it. But do they have what it takes to save their worlds again?
1. Chapter 1

"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." - Denis Waitley

**Digimon: Darkness Falls**

**Chapter 1: **

Nora:

"Hey! Wake up! Kid! Wake up!"

Tiny hands slap lightly against my face and with a start, I wake up.

The first thing I can make out are a pair of brown eyes staring right into mine. Then I see the pink fur and really took in the small face and the big ears that were twitching just above my head.

I screamed, pushing myself up into a sitting position while my arms flailed wildly around me. I kicked and struggled to put some space between me and whatever that pink thing was and only ended up bashing my elbow against a tree trunk.

"Calm down!" The same voice called, sounding angry.

But I couldn't because suddenly nothing was familiar. I was in a clearing of some sort, surrounded on all sides by big and tall trees and a sea of the greenest grass I had ever seen and flowers of sizes and colors. It was strange just as much as it was pretty. But there wasn't time to admire especially when the rabbit jumped back into my view, bursting out from the tall grass and making me jump.

I screamed again and watched as it rolled its eyes while stomping a foot on the ground, a red boot clad foot. It put its tiny hands on its hips and glared at me, its ears still twitching and its red scarf tied around its neck. The scarf itself was a few sizes too big for it and it had frayed and worn ends. The pink rabbit also sported a pair of purple and white headphone-looking things on it's head which only added to the bizarreness.

"I said calm down!" The rabbit barked and then looked around nervously. "And quit shouting will you? You're gonna get us killed!"

"K-killed?!" I croaked, panicking even more. The rabbit took a step and I held up a hand. "Stay back!"

"Easy! Easy!" The rabbit said, putting up it's tiny hands, a bead of sweat forming on it's brow.

"Wh-where am I?" I sniffed.

"Kid, we don't have time for questions." The rabbit said. "I need your help and I need your help fast so get it together so we can have a chance at living."

"Wha-what are you talking about?" I sniffed again.

The rabbit sighed heavily before pointing at something behind me and slowly I followed where it was pointing. A dark cloud in the distance complete with lightening and if I listened close enough I could make out screams and the sound of explosions.

I looked back at the rabbit, more horrified than before. What was happening? Where was I?

"Now listen carefully kid, we don't have time. I can hear them coming." The rabbit pointed behind it's back. "There's a way out of this but I can't do this without your help."

"Wh-why should I help you?" I breathed and pushed myself up to my feet. My elbow throbbed, I felt light-headed, my body was trembling with a newfound fear of whatever it was that was heading toward us and to make it all that much better, I was nervous and scared. I couldn't think straight. My eyes darted nervously around me, as if more of those pink rabbits would pop out and eat me or something.

"Do you want to live?" The rabbit growled.

"What?"

"Do you want to live?" The rabbit snapped louder and angrier than before.

I blinked, staring at it for a few moments before managing a small nod.

"Then follow me or you can stay here and find out what that dark cloud is all about." It turned it's back then and started running off into the tall grass.

It only took me a a few seconds to decide what to do next. I didn't want to wait for anything. I'd rather move period and if it meant following a pink rabbit deeper into an unknown forest then I was fine with that. My legs started moving and felt stiff at first but I was running after the rabbit who was running on all fours.

"Hurry!" The rabbit urged.

"I'm running as fast as I can!" I panted, struggling to stay focused. I ignored the pain in my elbow and my turning stomach and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

I wasn't sure how long we ran but the brush got thicker and thicker and suddenly we were jumping and climbing over fallen trees and all while the rabbit's ears twitched more and more until we reached what looked like a dead end. It was a crumpled wall that an avid climber could probably get over with little to no problem but for someone as shaky as me and as small as the rabbit it would clearly take two people working together to get over it and it wouldn't be easy.

"Okay, c'mon!" The rabbit urged, it's tiny hands grasping at the walls.

"Wait…isn't there another way to g—"

"Too much time was already spent getting here because you stumbled so much!" The rabbit cut me off. "Now are you gonna help me or are you gonna stand there and get us killed?"

I looked around the forest searching for another way but all I could make out was endless trees. This wall had been the only clear getaway I had made out during our long run. I turned back and though the trees were still tall and blocked some of my view I could make out that imposing dark cloud growing even more imposing and getting bigger and bigger.

"Kid!" The urgency burning in the rabbit's voice. "Kid! C'mon hurry up, give me a boost!"

I snapped back into reality, struggling to push the image of those incoming dark clouds to the back of mind as I turned to face the rabbit who was staring down at me from a small rock that jutted out of the wall. If I positioned myself just right, I could get a good footing and be able to help the rabbit over the wall. I moved clumsily at first, my hands barely able to get a hold of anything but somehow I found a way while the rabbit urged me to move faster.

"Hurry!" The rabbit practically shouted, jumping up and down to emphasize its point. I glared at it, annoyed that it sounded like one of my baby cousins whining about watching TV longer or complaining about sharing with their siblings.

"I'm moving as fast as I can!" I spat back angrily.

"Not fast enough." The rabbit growled as I reached up and it hopped onto my shoulder. Grunting, it hopped again, this time onto my head before taking a breath and jumping once more, harder this time, up my arm which gripped a shaky ledge just above my head. It climbed up my arm quickly, like a roach almost, and stepped onto the ledge which crumbled quickly, pieces of rock fragments falling onto my head. The rabbit hoisted itself onto the wall and stood, almost triumphantly, as it looked down at me.

My hand slapped against the wall and I almost lost my balance in the process. I looked up at the rabbit, sweat starting to dot my brow. We stared at each other for a breath and a realization hit me so hard, I almost lost my balance for good. It was clear then, clear as day, clear as rain, and just as clear as the impending doom behind me in those dark clouds that this rabbit, this kid, this…whatever this creature was had tricked me.

"Aren't you…gonna help me?" I grunted.

The funny part was that it looked like it was thinking this over. Weighing the risk of helping me or leaving me behind. But I knew it had already made its decision, so when it's eyes turned cruel and my blood flushed to my cheeks, I wanted to climb the rest of the wall just to strangle the stupid thing.

"You're on your own loser!" The rabbit said and giving a wary glance over my head, it quickly darted in the opposite direction, scurrying through whatever brush as fast as it could because I could feel it now. The dark cloud coming over me, swallowing the seas of blue. A shiver ran down my spine just as the rock beneath me gave out and I went flying back, landing hard.

I tried to not look up at the dark cloud but I couldn't help it. instinct won over and soon I was looking up, looking to the dark pool of swirling darkness and shivering, my heart racing in my chest. I had never felt a numbing fear like this, fear for something I couldn't see. Was it a bad storm? No, it was something worse than that, something much worse. Something deadly was coming with this cloud of black and it was coming fast.

I pushed myself up and looked around, looking for some sort of cover. But I was in a clearing and figured since climbing over the wall was out of the question and would probably end with me bashing my head open on the side of the wall, that maybe trying to get around it would be better. So I let my feet start walking along the rock wall, desperately at first as my eyes searched not just for a bend but some sort of cover, some fortress to ride out whatever was coming while I burned inside thinking about the rabbit.

It had been curious from the start and yet there I was offering my services, getting talked down to, rushed by, and panicked by a rabbit, a talking pink rabbit with red boots, a ridiculous scarf and headgear for ears that were bigger and thicker than any rabbit's ears I had ever seen.

I stopped walking then, another realization hitting me. It was a dream. Some sort of twisted Alice in Wonderland tale and I was Alice. Leaning against the base of a tree, I slid to the forest fall and held out my arm. If it was a dream, I could wake up from it, no matter how real it all felt. Because surely a forest like this, with all sorts of flowers that were all sorts of colors and types and sizes didn't exist. Because daisies the size of palms weren't real and rabbits didn't talk and they most certainly weren't pink.

I held my forefinger and thumb over my arm and closed my eyes, struggling to wake out of whatever thick sleep I was in to at least feel myself rousing from sleep to consciousness. But I never felt it and I didn't worry because pinching always worked. I had always been a deep sleeper so as I pinched my forearm, my eyes tightening thanks to the pain. I imagined the feeling of my bed, my sheets pulled tightly around me and a safe, homey warmth starting at my toes and working it's away up. My bedroom, a place that felt light years away from this one, was almost clear in my head until two things happened.

First, there was a sound, like a huge crash deep in the forest. It wasn't exactly a tree falling over, more like something heavy coming down on the ground and it was picking up speed, getting closer and closer and if I didn't know any better, it sounded like footsteps. Heavy, big footsteps heading in my direction.

Next, I realized I couldn't remember the feeling of my bed completely. It felt like a distant memory almost and it was clear that I couldn't remember it because I couldn't even remember what I had been doing before this forest. I could remember everything else, my name, my family, my age, but not what I had been doing before…before I had wound up—

A roar. An earsplitting, soul crushing, spine-tingling roar echoed throughout the forest, pounding into my ears and heart and making me nearly jump out of my skin. I gripped the tree, pressed my legs closer together, my eyes widening as I felt the blood drain from my face. whatever that roar was, it didn't belong to an animal. That was a monster's growl, a vicious creature with razor-sharp teeth and talons. It wasn't the size of lion or a bear, or even an elephant for that matter. This monster was big and feral, probably the size of half a building, probably bigger and able to knock a six story building to a pile of rubble.

It also sounded close, just around the corner those crushing steps getting closer and closer until, I could feel it. As if on cue there was that heat right at my back, slow rhythmic and like a torrent of hot wind. Breathing. It was right behind me and I could feel it's massive presence, this big tower of a beast behind me, making the area even darker than it was. I struggled to swallow but found a lump in my throat as my hands went clammy.

But the worst part was that I hadn't woken up. The pinch had done nothing but cause me momentary pain and waste my time. And now here I was, tricked by a talk rabbit in a forest that made no sense and I was probably about to be eaten by something that felt like, at least in my head, that it should be extinct.

I closed my eyes, telling myself making sudden movements would get my killed, forcing my mind to come up with a way out no matter how bleak it was starting to look for me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **

Kari:

I only told TK about my dream. But he didn't know all of it and he most certainly didn't know that it had been plaguing me every night for the past month, crashing through my peaceful sleep like an out of control plane and forcing me to toss and turn all night, and wake tired and anxious.

If I was anything nowadays, it was exhausted. Not a wink of sleep, not even an ounce. I was grateful Mimi had insisted on giving Yolei and I make-up tutorials when we were in seventh grade, insisting we "were beautiful young ladies coming of age and if we weren't interested in make-up yet wait till high school". At least I could hide the dark bags under my eyes and true it was only possible with the heaviest of make-up shades, it worked and no one questioned anything, not even TK who watched me like a hawk, and always had for as long as I could remember.

But tonight's dream had shaken me somewhere deep and I couldn't shake the feeling that something about it was different. It always started the same, this out of body experience where a part of me woke to a white space with no end and no beginning. Just white in all directions, blaring and bright and hurting my eyes. But then there was a low rumbling and suddenly a part of me was running. The sound comes from all directions and even though not one direction feels safe I'm just grateful to move.

Then, the sound of ground cracking open comes, and with it comes the birthing of a sea of screams and cries that fill my ears and make my chest heavy. So much pain, so much sorrow and so much desperation. So much fear. Then suddenly there is no ground below and I'm falling into the seas of screams, hearing them pick up volume the deeper I go. My head spins, my heart slams in my chest and it's getting harder to breathe with the hysterics around me. But amidst it all the only thing that felt real was that fear, this impending sense of doom and those screams, so real, so familiar, that what happened next never failed to make me jump out of bed.

Suddenly there was ground beneath my feet, some sort of invisible surface in the sea of endless white. As I collapsed on the ground, landing hard on my elbows and knees, choked sobs escape my chest as suddenly everything stops. No cracking. No screams. No cries. As I stare up with teary streams dripping down my face, the real fear hits me hard. I'm in a place filled with nothing, an endless voice where nothing begins and nothing ends. The closest I had to civilization were those terrible screams and even those feel far away.

"Kari? Earth to Kari!"

I jerked my head to the sound and came face to face with Gatomon's blue eyes. She was waving one of her gloved paws in my face, smiling in a way that never failed to warm my heart. My playful little cat digimon who was about as fierce and tough as a boxer.

"Hey, yeah sorry." I smiled, blinking as I looked around the room. "Must have dazed off, what's going on?"

I could see TK watching me from beside Davis, looking like he wanted nothing more than to move closer to me, than to pull me aside and ask what was wrong. It was killing him, his urge, no, his _necessity_ to protect me. It had been cute at one time and he had even told me it was because he cared about me, because he would do anything to make sure I was safe. As flattering as that had been at one point and as much as I had sought out his protection once, the dreams helped me realize I didn't need it. I didn't need anyone protecting me. I could take care of myself and I had been through much, much worse before.

"Izzy was talking about your human news." Gatomon yawned, stretching out on the desk in front of me, making herself comfortable. It was obvious she was not interested and also obvious she hadn't grasped the severity of the situation, which I was willing to bet was just like the rest of us.

All summer reports had been flying in from all around the world about children who had literally disappeared into thin air. But the disappearances were so random and though large in number didn't appear to be linked, but Izzy felt otherwise. Which was why we were here bright and early on a Saturday, at his high school, in the computer room, huddled together watching Izzy draw out his theories on the chalkboard.

"I was talking about these disappearances and how I think they're linked to the Digital World." Izzy corrected, waving his chalk piece in the air.

"How could those two be linked?" Yolie asked, not hiding her skepticism. I wasn't going to lie either. It did seem like a far stretch. The Digital World was a lot of things but it had gone silent over the past few years and according to our digimon, was peaceful.

"My cameras are out. But before the fizzed out, there was cryptic message." Izzy said before reaching for his laptop. "Tentomon can vouch for me."

All eyes landed on Tentomon who nodded.

"That's right Izzy! Late at night, in the middle of the night Izzy's computer came to life and a voice echoed a jumbled message."

"Did you manage to decode it?" Yolei asked, petting Poromon who was sound asleep on her lap.

Izzy nodded and turned his laptop screen around. The screen itself was an array of jumbled colors, like a downloaded picture that had yet to finish downloading. But at the center there were strange symbols.

"What does it mean?" Tai asked, a bead of sweat on his brow.

I glanced at my brother. He had been worried about all the missing kids and both Izzy and he had spent the entire summer together, hovering over computer screens, planning out instances with string and drawings on a corkboard.

I looked around the computer lab we were in, one of the three in the vast building. It had been the place my brother and Izzy had gone to whenever they weren't at the other's houses. They had only been granted access because Joe knew a guy who knew a guy. It was favor for helping the guy pass a test or something, but the whole idea of Joe knowing anyone but all of us seemed a bit funny to me.

I tried to picture our dark haired friend with big, dark-rimmed glasses scurrying about at NYU with an armful of books and mutterings of finals coming up under his breath talking to anyone. He was the definition of a loner, more so than Matt. I had never seen him talk to anyone outside of our group of friends and yet here he was pulling "friends" out of the pockets of his pressed chinos.

"What do those symbols mean?" Sora asked, squinting at the screen. I looked at her, marveling like always at her tomboyish look and feeling that familiar pang of jealousy build inside of me. Sora had blossomed the minute she hit high school and she had grown to become confident and easy-going. There was also no denying her beauty and her effortless style. It didn't even matter what she wore, even now with her baggy shirt and midi-shorts with Chucks, it brought out the femininity in her body. Like the narrowness of her face, the softness of her lips. Her hair was cut into a bob, one side longer than the other and instead of looking like an edgy mom bob, she had made it her own and it looked great on her.

But I still found myself wondering how she had nabbed a catch like Matt. Matt's cool softball star girlfriend who seemed more into sports than her boyfriend. I had barely seen them do anything, just show up places together. Never holding hands, never shooting each other looks of concern. I would never think the two of them would be together at all. Rock star Matt would never go for a wall flower like Sora unless she had something special about her and she acted like such a boy at times, it was kind of hard to pinpoint it. But for whatever reason, Mimi assured everyone that they were together, shipping them all the way while the rest of us, mainly Yolei, wondered if it was even true.

Sora was sitting beside Matt who seemed more interested in whatever was on his phone screen than Izzy's theory. Sora listened intently, Biyomon, Agumon, and Gabumon all standing on the window ledges pointing down at the midday traffic. I felt like groaning then. Midday traffic. It meant we had been watching Izzy draw our his theories all morning.

"The Darkness is Coming." Izzy said, rubbing his chin.

"Darkness?" Mimi wrinkled her nose. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nighttime!" Palmon chimed.

"It seemed like it will be a lot scarier than that." Izzy said.

"The voice was powerful, booming and even though the connection was bad, it was transmission, the source unknown." Izzy said.

"So what's the plan, Izzy?" Davis asked from the door, where he stood on watch for any stray teachers.

"He hasn't finished the theory yet." Tai laughed. I looked at my brother again, admiring his determination and seeing his nerves kicking in. he was getting jumpy, his leg bouncing under his desk. Or was it nerves? Or an urge to get moving? Anxiety? Tai was my big brother, a team player, captain of the soccer team and an all around great guy. He was always ready to go, always eager to start the day. He wasn't perfect and I was probably the only ho could speak to it all intimately, like his ability to sleep through several alarms, his shower hogging, and even his whiney-side. I had grown more protective of him thanks to the dreams lately and always had the need to pinpoint his exact location. I was turning into mom.

I wasn't sure what the dream meant but something within me screamed to keep everyone I loved close to me and I hadn't let Tai out of my sight, my biggest stake. All my life he had protected me, gone out of his way to make sure I was okay and now it was time to pay him back. I wanted to watch him the way he had watched me all these years.

"Well after that voice the transmission lost connected, but not before I made pout screams in the background. But that only lasted a few seconds before everything times out together. Then the next day, this message appeared on my computer and the biggest group of kids went missing." Izzy said.

"You think the voice took them?" Sora asked.

"I don't wanna make you feel bad, Izzy but," TK scratched the back of his head, his brow furrowed. "As evil as the voice sounded it's a stretch to link that to kids. Plus screaming? You sure it was that? you said yourself it was the middle of the night."

"True it could've been anything." Cody added. "Maybe your head was making things up."

"If so, why did my cameras stop working?" Izzy asked.

"Cameras?" I asked, my voice small.

"His surveillance on the Digital World." Tai said. "Three out of the four territories were disconnected."

"I tried to rummage through the memory for something and all I came up with was this final sound." Izzy turned his computer screen back around, punched in a few letters on his keyboard and suddenly the room filled with the sound of what could only be described as a massive explosion.

"Oh no! What was that?" Mimi gasped.

"So they're broken?" Sora asked.

"A tree could've fallen." Matt said.

"That didn't sound like a tree to me." Davis said.

"Exactly." Izzy nodded and began typing again on his computer.

"So what was it?" I asked.

"There's only one way to find out and that's to go and turn the cameras back on." Izzy said.

"That involves going to the Digital World." Agumon said.

"We can connect it again, Izzy." Biyomon said, looking away from the window toward him.

Izzy shook his head. "It's not as simple as that. I've been meaning to put a newer software in for a while now. You guys wouldn't be able to do it alone."

"So one of us needs to go." I said.

"Still not so—"

"I'll go." Tai volunteered, cutting Izzy off.

"It's not so simple, Tai. These cameras fizzled out, went out almost painfully. Then my trackers went out the same way. I have no eyes in the Digital World." Izzy explained.

"Maybe a group of Bakemon passing through." Cody said. "You know all the tricks they like to play."

"So right, Cody." Davis agreed as he now fidgeted with his soccer ball by the door.

"It still feels unsafe to send just one, I mean if there's no one watching you, Tai it could get dangerous." Yolei offered.

Tai seemed to think about this and was about to say something when Agumon spoke up instead.

"Tai will be fine. We'll be together, right Tai?" Agumon asked.

Tai nodded at his partner and then beamed triumphantly. "With Agumon by my side, we can't lose."

"Tai that's not the point—" Izzy began but was cut off by Matt.

"Then we'll send a small group in. They can tackle the cameras one by one, work as a group." Matt interjected. "They can be out before school on Monday."

Izzy turned to Matt, his mouth opening, ready to answer.

"That would be good." TK said. "I volunteer."

Izzy turned to TK.

"No." Matt said.

Both brothers glared at each other.

"Matt, seriously?" TK said, sounding a little aggravated.

"You have homework." Matt said.

"I'll go." Sora interrupted, sliding off the desk before smoothing her hands over her wrinkled shirt. "We can get around fast with Birdramon."

That was a point and now all that was left was the the third person.

"Guys." Izzy said, lifting a hand.

"I can't go." Mimi said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I have a hair appointment tomorrow at noon." She looked squarely at Tai. "Unless you can guarantee we'd be back in time."

Tai chuckled. "I doubt it will be that big of a deal for you to miss your appointment, Mimi." It was a dry comment, but Mimi didn't take it to heart. In fact, she seemed pleased and turned back to painting Palmon's talons a bright red color.

"Guys, listen." Izzy said firmly.

"Tai we can just do this with no problem. No need for anyone else to miss out on their weekend." Sora said.

Tai nodded, but I could see it in his face, an unnamed tension and instantly knew what was wrong. Tai had been the last to find out about Sora and Matt and by the time he had realized he liked Sora, it was too late. That had been over a year ago and yet, I knew he wasn't over it, couldn't fathom it, probably secretly hoped they would break up and Sora would realize what was in front of her all along. But Sora thought he was over everything and wouldn't think twice about working alone with Tai, thinking their proximity would be okay, thinking his feelings for her were brief and fleeting. She couldn't see the pain, all she saw was the Tai she had always known, but instead she had birthed a new Tai, one who was good at covering up his feelings.

In short, I couldn't watch him suffer. Couldn't picture the two of them riding on Birdramon together, Tai's arms wrapped around her waist, breathing in the scent of her hair while she rode forward oblivious to the pain she was causing him.

"I'll go too." I volunteered, earning a look from TK and a concerned shoulder pat from Yolei.

Tai seemed momentarily relieved until his eyes landed on me. I could see him getting ready to turn me away until Gatomon grinned.

"Perfect! I finally get to have some exercise." She purred.

"To the Digital World we go!" Biyomon cheered.

"Kari." Tai said and then stopped himself, looking back out the window even though I was sure no one was coming. For the first time ever, my brother just had no words. He didn't want me to go but then again who would he have to lean on, who would he have that would understand what he was going through. We had never said the words that were so obvious you could see them from space, but we just knew and you couldn't fight that.

"Guys." Izzy said, firmer this time, earning our attention.

"I just—I just have a bad feeling about this, that's all. Something doesn't feel right." Izzy said. "It doesn't feel like enough."

"I can't go, Iz." Davis said. "I have a game tomorrow."

"That you're gonna win." Tai smiled, cheerful again and earning a nod from Davis.

"You already know it!" Davis cheered back, forcing Yolei to punch him on the arm.

"Jesus! Right in my ear!" She growled and Davis rolled his eyes.

"Dramatic." He sighed.

"C'mon guys, no fighting!" Cody begged earnestly in a hushed voice while pointing down to Armadillomon who was asleep at his feet.

Cody turned toward Izzy, a sorry expression on his face. "I can help you try to restart the cameras, maybe force other ones on the islands back on, Izzy but I can't go either. I have a kendo match tomorrow."

"You still do that?" Davis asked.

"Yeah and he can kick your sorry butt!" Yolei teased.

"Plus you already know Joe's out." Matt mumbled. "He's too busy with school like always."

"And his new job." Sora said, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder before moving it away.

Matt nodded, not even registering her touch.

"So, in other words, Izzy. We'll be fine." Tai said, placing a hand on Izzy's shoulders. "The three of us will go in and fix those cameras in two hours tops I bet. Won't even notice we're gone."

But in that moment, watching the worry form lines on Izzy's forehead, I could feel it too, this small sliver of uncertainty. It most certainly sounded too easy and for us, we should've known better because experience had shown us nothing was easy. Go to the Digital World to investigate cameras that mysteriously turned off and fidget with them to get them back up and running. Plus, we weren't even talking about Izzy's theory that he had painstakingly drawn out. The missing kids, the voice in the night, the warning etched in black across a color blocked screen. None of it made sense and here we were planning on jumping through to a portal blind. Nothing about it should have felt as easy as it did to me but it did.

Izzy seemed to ponder Tai's words but gave in because, it was Tai and Tai was our team's brave leader. If he said something was okay, if he had full confidence why couldn't we? What excuse did we have to be suspicious? What excuse did we have to be scared? We had our digimon by our sides and nothing would happen, at least nothing we couldn't control.

"Kari." I felt the warmth of TK's breath on my ear and blushed a bright red while Izzy started to get the portal ready. I turned in my seat and looked back at TK whose knees were so close they were practically touching my thighs. When had he even moved?

"You sure about this?" He asked as Patamon floated over to where Gatomon was to play.

"Sure about what?" I asked, taking the confused route. Just the fact that he was asking if I was sure infuriated me. What about me claimed I was weak? Was it something in my eyes? I had tried this year, vowed to myself that I would be more confident. I was sure it was working until TK would corner me like this, in a sea of our friends and ask if I was making the right choice. It was like putting a big spotlight on me.

TK nodded toward Izzy. "Going to the Digital World."

"I'm not letting Tai go alone." I said.

TK nodded. "Yeah, I know. I know you wouldn't leave him but…you're not sleeping and you're not focused, you're not here—"

"I'm fine." I snapped.

He seemed surprised and slowly Yolei turned away from her argument with Davis to peer over at TK and I, no doubt beginning to eavesdrop.

I had never snapped at him before, hardly snapped at anyone and whenever I did it was because I was really riled up, because someone had pushed me there. Except, now the only person who had pushed me there was myself. I felt bad, talking to TK that way. After all he was just helping right? But I didn't need it, didn't he see that?

"Okay." TK smiled, softly. He looked a little hurt, a little wounded but he placed a hand over mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Good luck then. You got this." But I knew it was the exact opposite. The minute something went wrong, he would be the first person jumping through the portal. He would push everyone out of the way to come to my rescue and instead of warming my heart, I turned away, feeling sick and angry.

"Okay." Izzy said, right on cue and without looking at Izzy, I scooped up an excited Gatomon and headed toward the front of the room. Standing beside Tai, Agumon excited between us, I told myself nothing bad could possibly happen. We were strong, we were confident and this job was so easy we could probably do it in our sleep. Plus, our team would be just a click away.

Sora headed toward us without giving a glance back at Matt. Biyomon followed, waving to Gabumon who nodded sleepily, woken from his nap by all the ruckus of chairs screeching back.

We stood in the middle of the room watching Izzy type furiously on his lap top, punching in command after command, a light sweat beginning to form on his brow. After a moment, he glanced up, eyebrow arched.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Good luck guys!" Yolei smiled.

"Not that they'll need it." Mimi beamed.

"They'll be back in time for dinner." Patamon said.

"For sure!" Veemon chimed in.

I smiled in response, tightly, but a smile nonetheless. Confidence. I had to have confidence. I looked up at Tai and saw the determination burning in his eyes. Simple. Nothing to worry about. I focused on Izzy, watching him type in a few more keys before looking up at us and saying:

"Digiport Open!" In a flash, the room was vibrating and right behind us was a powerful swirl of wind that quickly turned into the familiar swirls of data. The portal was open, a sea of colorful bits and codes flying around inside, like a mini hurricane.

"Alright, you guys ready?" Tai asked, smiling at us.

"Bring it." Sora grinned, hugging Biyomon closer to her chest.

"Yeah." I smiled, feeling a pang of anxiety bubbling in my stomach. Something was wrong. I picked up Gatomon, trying to breathe in her scent to calm my nerves. It would be fine. I was just nervous because of TK. I could feel his eyes burning holes in my back, but I stood tall.

Tai grabbed Agumon's claw and together, they jumped. Sora and Biyomon jumped shortly after and after a breath, I jumped after them.

It was like diving under water. There was just a long, vast swirl of data, my hair whipping around my face, the colors so bright, they made my eyes hurt a little. But then there was the sound of something cracking.

"What is that?" Tai asked.

"Tai! Something's wrong!" Agumon growled, his eyes growing dark.

Gatomon hissed in my arms, her fur standing on edge.

"Gatomon! What's happening?" I gasped.

"It's breaking!" Sora breathed.

We looked and saw the data cracking like glasses and as it cracked, pieces of it fell, dissolving into dust like destroyed digimon.

"The portal's collapsing!" Biyomon shouted.

"What does that mean for us?" Sora yelled.

It was a good question and it made the data crack faster until all that stretched far and wide was an open sea of white and my stomach dropped.

"No." I breathed as I realized it was coming true. The whiteness was stark and bright and I could hear Sora and Tai yelling and calling out but there were other screams and hollers too, these coming from behind us. Whatever was pulling us forward, pulled harder and faster until the wind actually hurt.

As the nightmare came to life, the whiteness stretching out as far as my eyes could see,

the hollers coming from all around, I realized why they had been so familiar in the dream. They had been morphed, distorted, and came in different ranges but they were there nonetheless and they were familiar because…because they were my friends.

Together we were tumbling fast through this void of white, this never ending tunnel of starkness that seemed to loop on for ages and eons, screaming the whole way, until…until…

My body smashed into a data stream and I could hear it crack like glass from the impact. The moment we burst through to the other side, all sounds ended and I squeezed my eyes shut as everything around me feel silent.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **

Nora:

_Run_.

I was running faster than I had ever run before and judging by the ear splitting roar that seemed to make the entire forest vibrate, whatever monstrosity was behind me, it didn't like it. Then it started moving and the ground shook with each step and suddenly I wasn't sure if I was running straight but the steps forced me to head into a narrower path where the trees became thicker and the branches and brush seemed to be trying to pull me back. But I pushed against it, my arms swiping at everything that seemed to be reaching for me, hot tears stinging in my eyes.

"DINO BURST!" A powerful voice boomed. It took me a moment before I realized such a powerful, godly voice like that had come from behind me, had seemed to match the intensity of the roar. A chill shot throughout my body as I realized it was one in the same.

I could smell the flames and feel them before I gained enough courage to look over my shoulder. Then there it was, a brilliantly orange stream of red, yellow and orange swirling toward me and bursting through the trunk of a tree in order to reach me. I heard the tree give out a groan before it started to fall and when I forced my attention forward, watching the sunlight peeking out from behind the trees begin to disappear thanks to the falling tree, I realized I was running out of path and before I could stop myself, I was falling off the side of a steep cliff.

The tree smashed to the edge of the cliff moments after and I heard it snap in two and heard the top part of it rolling down the cliff just behind me. I rolled and smacked into the ground, unable to stop myself and unsure if I even wanted to. If I somehow grabbed a hold of something that tree would crush me and there was no doubting that. I couldn't see anything either, everything was a mixture of colors, happening so quickly, I just wanted it to pause so I could gather myself, or at least attempt to.

But I couldn't and there was no waking up from whatever twisted nightmare this was either because it wasn't a dream. It was real. All of it. Finally, I rolled to a stop ad my body ached as I looked up only to see the tree tumbling toward me and just behind it there was something massive and blue sliding down after it. I struggled to pull myself out of the way of the tree and barely made it as the tree crashed down over me. The piece of trunk fell vertically, landing less than an inch away from where I had been just moments before.

I looked up just as what felt like a several cars slamming into the ground made contact. Branches snapped as whatever it was landed on top of it and I struggled to pull my legs away just as the blue body became still.

My eyes widened as my breath hitched in my throat. It was definitely a body, but not human, not at all. It was a reptile and it was massive, but that wasn't the only thing. It was tribal looking with red markings all over it's body and a head set made of red feathers and matching red and gold ties. On the top of it's head were two distinct feathers tipped red that pointed upward and they blew gently in the breeze as the beast before breathed.

It's head was just a few inches away from me, it's eyes closed, it's breathing slow. I held my own, sweat dotting my forehead as I stared, wide-eyed with a racing heart at the head of a beast that was bigger than anything I had ever seen. Bigger than a trailer but similar to the dinosaur bones I had seen in the museum.

My heart dropped then. _Dinosaur_. Of course, but this creature whose lips were quivering, turning upward and revealing two rows of razor sharp canines. Slowly I pushed myself to my feet, feeling sick to my stomach as I thought back to the third grade when Aaron Thompson presented with a toothy smile his presentation on his favorite dinosaur, the T-Rex.

I stepped back, scared out of my mind and ended up stepping on a branch. The sound filled the air and sounded like you could hear it for miles since the forest was suddenly so quiet.

I froze as the beast twitched. It was like time had stopped and I cursed it for picking now of all times. Just when I was getting ready to breathe a sigh of relief, the dinosaur's eyes opened and its green eye rolled all around viciously until it landed on me. I was still, following one of my father's pieces of random advice. This one dated back to 2011 where we had been at the breakfast table watching the morning news and a reporter had talked about a recent bear attack in the woods of California. He grumbled to himself and then fixed me with a hard look.

_Nora, if you ever get attacked by a wild animal, stay perfectly still. Stillness. That's what will get you out of trouble with nature_.

It seemed silly to follow these rules. Silly to think back to them when this monster before me was much more than a bear. But I found myself following it anyway, unable to think of anything else to follow.

But then it's mouth opened and out came that same vicious roar from before as the dinosaur's eyes went feral and it began pushing itself up. Out from my mouth at the same time and probably not heard over the monster's roar, ripped a scream I was sure cracked toward the end and sounded winded as I turned and bolted through the thick brush once more.

A few moments later ripped another roar and this time I could hear the dinosaur running after me, it's steps massive and getting closer and closer. My legs were on fire and after a steady run for the first minute, something in my right leg seemed to pull and before I knew it I was limp-running, tears stinging my eyes from the sheer pain.

This was bad. Terrible and I was sure there was no way it could get any worse. Until I tripped over an upturned root and landed flat on my face, my teeth smashing together upon impact. There was one more powerful step and the dinosaur stilled. Looking over my shoulder slowly, I found it standing over me, looking just as powerful and intimidating as it had looked standing just a few inches away from me.

"Stop please!" I cried out, holding out my hands, tears trickling out from my eyes. "Please!"

The dinosaur breathed and I could feel the heat from it splash onto my body, which made me shiver. It didn't look like it understood English which made me question if the voice from before had even come from it at all.

This was it. I was going to die in whatever backwards place this was, unable to defend myself against a thirteen-foot tall dinosaur with stark white and sharp teeth, all because a student rabbit with headphones and red boots had tricked me. It was all so bizarre I almost laughed and as the dinosaur reared its head back, opening it's mouth to reveal the ball of flames beginning to form at the back of it's throat, I kissed everything I knew goodbye because surely everything I knew was about to be burned out of me.

I squeezed my eyes shut just as that powerful voice sounded again.

"DINO BURST!"

I could feel the heat rising, feel my blood running cold in response and just as I swore I could feel the flames lick at my body, I felt like I was flying.

Opening my eyes, I landed a few yards away, coming down hard on my shoulder and groaning. I pushed myself up quickly, well tried to and failed, as the world around me spun wildly. But even with the world spinning I couldn't mistake the golden fur and the furry white-tipped tail belonging to a lean and tall body in front of me. The fur was luxurious and shined with health. The tail was still but I had to fight the urge to reach out and run my fingers through it.

"You alright?"

This voice was calmer, confident, with an edge of allure. But it was distorted and I wasn't sure if it was a boy's voice or a girl's voice. My head rolled to the side just in time to see the dinosaur barrel through the trees with that flame gathering in it's mouth.

"Is that really all you have?" The voice said, this time the fox's tail swishing to the side. "Then this is going to be easier than I thought."

Then it was gone, appearing midair as the dinosaur pulled itself to a stop with a struggle but if I didn't know any better, it was too late. By now the world around me was edged with darkness and I could feel it closing in but I tried to fight it as best I could because something about this golden creature pulled me in, comforted my uneasiness, while making me feel safe, as safe as I felt whenever I was around my family.

"Power Paw!" It's back was still to me and as it's paws began to a glow a ghostly blue color, I watched it do a flip in mid-air and deliver upon the dinosaur a powerful punch that made its whole body tremble. It was followed by a swift kick and upon receiving it, the dinosaur let out another roar as it's body began disintegrate into what looked like snowflakes. It was at this point, just as my savior began to turn it's body to face me that was when the blackness swooped in. I went out like a light, fading out of consciousness in the blink of an eye with the dinosaur's roar ringing in my ears.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Jeri:

"OH NO!"

Kenta beamed as he pointed down at the last card he had thrown down while Kazu threw his hands in the air, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

"You definitely cheated!" Kenta groaned as Takato laughed lightly from behind him.

"I can't believe you three still play that stupid game." Rika said. She sat the furthest from all of us, her arms crossed, combat boot clad-feet stretched out on the seat.

We were lucky we had this train car to ourselves and the train was speeding past stops so quickly, it allowed our digimon companions to float around as they pleased. Calumon and Marineangemon were pressing their faces against the glass, marveling at the stations we were passing.

"It's not a stupid game!" Kazu said, turning to glare at her.

"Technically we all play the game, just in real life." Kenta shrugged.

"At least the creatures we put into play are real and tangible…unlike those pieces of plastic." Renamon said from her corner opposite Rika.

"Why don't we play Russian Roulette?" Terriermon chimed.

"No." Henry said, playfully hitting him atop the head.

"Takato-mon! I'm hungry? Do you have Guilmon bread?" Guilmon asked before pushing his entire head into the backpack at Takato's feet.

Takato gasped before struggling to pull the red dinosaur out as everyone laughed.

I smiled to myself and turned my attention back to my phone where I continued to scroll through pictures of all of us. We had come along way over the past two years and I liked how my pictures helped chronicle our changes not just physically but mentally as well.

We had started off so different and I had often wondered if we would ever be able to find even ground. Rika had been stand-offish, cruel on some occasions. She was all tough love though and the more time I spent with her the more I got to see of her softer side. She had even transferred over to our high school, which was just as private as hers but minus the exclusive Hollywood air. Since her mother was a world famous model that the girls in school idolized, the moment she had set foot in our high school's hallways, it had been like time stopped. Of course less than a period later, everyone knew where Rika stood and how she felt about the attention and now it was like she was just like every other person.

I smiled down at a picture of the two of us, her smile shy and smile, mine big and warm. Our cheeks were pressed together as we posed, glimpses of sunlight breaking through the spaces of our faces. We looked so happy and free and this picture, taken weeks ago when I had decided to drag everyone to the beach, had been just as great.

"Guilmon! There's no food in there!" Takato exclaimed, succeeding in pushing Guilmon's head out of his bag.

Guilmon pouted in response and sighed. "I'm so hungry…"

"Well we're almost at our spot buddy." Takato said. "I told you to bring a snack."

"You said we would get there fast." Guilmon whined.

"I'd say this train is moving rather quickly." Guardromon said, glancing back at the window.

"We are almost there." Henry said.

"Lopmon! We need to get you a bow." Suzy said as she fidgeted with the pink rabbits ears.

"A bow? Why?"

"So you can look even cuter!" Suzy grinned.

I scrolled to another picture, this one of Suzy. She had grown the most out of all of us. No longer a child who wanted her way, Suzy was in sixth grade now and was all about nail art and being with us and Lopmon. She was on a different level than most sixth graders and took her job as a Tamer seriously. Sometimes it felt like she was missing out on being a kid but she seemed content nonetheless. In the picture she was hugging Lopmon close to her chest and leaning toward her brother, Henry who was trying to stay balanced atop one of the slippery rocks at the pier.

Henry respected Suzy now. He still protected her, still cared but he loosened his reigns. He knew she didn't need to be coddled anymore and with that newfound freedom he was able to focus on other things which no longer involved kendo or karate but a new found love in basketball which he would play with Takato. I picked another photo of Henry in the middle of throwing the ball toward the hoop. In front of him, jumping up just a second or two behind Henry was Takato looking set and determined as he eyed the ball. On the sidelines I spotted Guilmon and Terriermon waving paper drawings of the boys.

"Where are we going again?" Calumon asked.

"Central Park." Henry answered.

"For a picnic." Takato grinned.

"Why can't we eat here?" Guilmon asked.

"Because we're almost there." Kenta said.

"But can't I taste test?" Guilmon asked innocently.

"I want to taste test too!" Terriermon shouted.

"No." Rika snapped.

"Why not?" Marineangemon asked.

"Because if we let you taste there will be nothing left to eat." Takato said and then poked Guilmon's belly. "That goes double for you buddy."

"The tunnel is coming!" Calumon cheered.

All the digimon flooded toward the window, except for Renamon who closed her eyes and eased further into her lounging position.

Their faces pressed up against the glass I smiled and lifted my camera, snapping another picture.

"Did you catch me in that one?" Kenta smiled.

I looked at him, realizing at the same time that everyone had seen me take the picture and instantly felt my cheeks warm slightly.

"Nope, it was all them."

"Oh well, we weren't camera ready anyway." Kazu said, recollecting his cards just as our train plunged underground and the digimon oohed and ahhed.

"Another game where you get destroyed?" Kenta snickered.

Kazu glared at him. "I haven't played in a while that's all it is."

I looked back down at my camera and selected another picture. This time it was one of Takato and I. I felt my cheeks flush and struggled to hide it with my scarf. In the photo we were trying to stay balanced on top of those slippery rocks and for the life of me I couldn't remember why we had decided to do something so idiotic. We couldn't gotten hurt badly but for some reason we climbed it. but it wasn't so much the image of Takato holding my hands in his as we laughed and struggled to find good ground, it was what happened after the picture that made my temperature rise.

We had fallen, landing hard on our backs and I remembered all the air rushing out of me. My eyes had closed when I fell and all I could remember was Takato gasping beside me and asking if I was alright. When I opened my eyes, his face was just inches from mine, concern weighing heavy in his brown eyes, and suddenly it had bee harder to breathe. I could only stare and feel my cheeks getting warmer and warmer until he too realized our proximity, pulling away before the others reached our side.

I looked at Takato, at his messy head of brown hair, his easy smile. He had gotten taller of the past two years not by much, Henry was still a few inches taller. He had filled out as well, grown into his face and now he didn't have baby cheeks anymore either. I realized that day, staring up closely at his face that this Takato was different than the one from two years ago. He wasn't a kid anymore, he was a teenage boy and I couldn't deny it either…he was kind of hot too.

He was still clumsy, still found it hard to talk to me at times and I was jealous of how easy he could talk to Rika. There was nothing going on between them but I still felt pangs of jealousy whenever I saw them together. He had light muscle thanks to all the practice with Henry and lifting heavy boxes at his parent's bakery which not only had a small shop in Japan but a bigger space they were setting up here in America.

I looked at him now, at his blue Henley shirt, dark washed jeans and Nikes. Cool, calm and relaxed and so light, so easy, so breezy, his calmness made my nerves decrease. Whenever I was around him, whenever I saw him smile, I felt a little bit better, little more cheerful and a little more hopeful.

A lot had happened two years ago and we had all come a long way and while I was giving everyone else credit, I wasn't shining a light on myself. I had been possessed a few years ago, by the D-Reaper, granting him access to the real World and the results were disastrous. In a lot of ways the world was still healing and so were we but whereas I would spend a lot of time thinking about the past my friends helped pull me out of it. I realized no matter what they had my back and that was all I needed to know.

The train jerked to the side and nearly all of us slipped out of seats. I almost missed grabbing onto the pole, but managed just in time. Kenta and Kazu slid across the floor less than a foot while our digimon gasped. Renamon's eyes opened, scanning the train, while Rika threw her legs back to the ground, her hand firmly gripping the pole.

"What the heck was that?" Kazu asked.

"Sharp turn." Henry said.

"Pretty sharp turn." Rika mumbled.

"Everyone alright?" Takato asked, his eyes searching.

"Yeah." Kenta said, before pulling himself into a seat. "That was weird though. Never felt a train do th—"

The train jerked to the side again, this time sharper and more sudden than before and I went flying out of my seat as did Suzy. My body slammed against the pole and I cried out.

"Jeri!" Takato said.

"Oww!" Suzy whined. I looked down at where she was on the ground, her head leaning on the pole.

"Suzy! You hit your head!" Lopmon cried out.

"I'm fine." Suzy sniffed, but it was clear that she had hit her head pretty hard. Henry was at her side instantly while Takato rushed to mine.

"You alright?" He asked, his voice low and warm. I looked into his doe-brown eyes, feeling my heart squeeze. So much concern filled them, it broke my heart. Like this, it felt like we were in our world, just the two of us.

"I'm fine." I said, trying to give off a light laugh, but instead giving a weak one. "Not as bad as Suzy."

Takato nodded and then looked back at Suzy who Henry was helping back into her seat.

"Guys." Rika called.

We all looked back at her. She was standing by the door leading to the other cars, her body blocking the window. "Where did everyone go?"

"Wha—!"

The train jolted forward faster, and whatever grips we had on the poles weren't enough. We went flying in all directions as the train seemed to turn left and right every second. I slammed against a window, felt my lower back slam against a pole. Everyone was crying out, even the digimon who even though they struggled to catch us, to grab hold of us, even their grip and stealth was overpowered by the train.

"What's happening!" Kazu shouted.

"It's going too fast!" Kenta cried out.

"Jeri!" Calumon cried, tears lighting his eyes. I reached out for him and managed to grab him just as the train jerked to the side and I collided with Takato who wrapped his arms around me and together gravity slammed us onto the floor.

"Takato are you—"

My voice hitched in my throat the moment I looked up at Takato. Just beyond his head, which was inches away from my own, the train car was being distorted, as if something was trying to break in from another dimension.

"What is that!?" Suzy screamed.

I wasn't sure but soon, there was a swirling gust of wind, wind so powerful you could see it until it changed into streams of data. At the same time the windows shattered and the sound of the propelling train car drowned out our screams. Glass shards rained down on us just as the swirling wind storm stood tall as a portal of some kind and then it all clicked.

"It's…it's a portal!" I breathed as Takato looked up.

"Oh God! Oh no!" Kazu screeched as he slid toward the portal.

"Kazu!" Kenta screamed as he slid after him. That was when I felt it, this invisible, powerful force grab me by the arm and jerk me out of Takato's grasp. I screamed, struggling to grab onto anything that would delay the inevitable but it was no use. We were all trying all screaming and shouting for help as one by one the portal sucked us up.

"JERI!"

It was the last thing I heard, Takato's voice, before the portal pulled me in and I lost consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **

**Nora**

I awoke to the moon shining high in the sky, as gnarled and twisted, bare branches seemed to be reaching for it. My head was pounding but that seemed to be the worst of my feelings. I blinked a few moments, feeling lost in the moonlight until it all came back to me.

Headpiece wearing, seven-foot tall blue dinosaur with razor sharp teeth. The stupid rabbit with red boots. The golden, white-bellied fox. I sat up quickly and felt the warm glow of a freshly put together fire while also regretting it. the world around me swam behind my eyes and I placed a delicate hand over my forehead.

"You should've stayed down for a few more minutes." A voice called from the darkness just on the outskirts of the fire. My body froze as my eyes scanned the surrounding woods.

"Who's there?!" I cried, unable to hide my nervousness.

"Relax." Then I could see it, the golden fox in the darkness, it's fur, no _her_ fur, shining in the moonlight and her icy blue eyes glowing like flashlights as they looked at me.

"Who-who are you? What have you done?" My head whipped around in every direction. "Where am I?"

"Cool it, human."

A nerve twitched in my neck. I swung around to face the voice, a voice I could recognize from anywhere given all that had happened.

The bunny stared up at me calmly, as if it hadn't tricked me. As if I hadn't barely survived a nightmare. As if I hadn't nearly died because of it. I couldn't help the malicious glare that came over my face.

As if sensing what was coming, the bunny help up it's tiny hands but the action alone made me dive for it.

"Why you little!" I didn't catch it. it jumped out of my way and jumped away from my hands, fixing a hard look on me.

"See Renamon? This is why I didn't want to heal her!" The rabbit said, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You see how mean she is?"

"How mean I am? _You_ are the definition of mean! _You_ left _me_ for dead!" I launched myself at it again and this time it jumped over the fire to the other side.

"I did no such thing! Survival of the fittest is what it's called." The rabbit said.

"Enough." The fox's voice cut through the air as calm as wind and we both stopped talking, but not glaring.

"But Rena—"

"You've caused enough problems, Cutemon." The fox snapped, cutting the rabbit off.

The rabbit opened it's mouth to protest once more but clamped it shut after thinking it over. I huffed, pushing back into a sitting position, not even caring that my clothes were covered in dirt. I was filled with hatred for that stupid creature and wanted nothing more than to take it's scarf and squeeze it tighter around it's—

"Apologize." The fox called from it's spot in the tree.

"What?!" The rabbit screeched and then pointed at me. "If anyone should apologize it's this human!"

"What?!" I snapped right back. "You can't be serious."

The rabbit glared at me. "Of course I am! You're kind is the one that's not supposed to even be around here in the first place. You're the one that's gonna get us in trouble." It looked up to the fox. "Tell this human, Renamon."

"Don't make me tell you to apologize anymore." The fox snapped.

The rabbit shivered while staring into the fox's eyes and I couldn't blame it. those eyes had hardened over the past couple of minutes and it seemed every word that left the rabbit's mouth made that look seem colder and colder.

"I'm sorry." The rabbit mumbled. It was low and if there had been a passing breeze I probably would have lost it in the rustling leaves. But the forest was dead silent and I heard it nonetheless but judging by the grunt of the fox, it wasn't enough.

The rabbit sighed heavily, turned to face me, it's tiny brown eyes bearing into mine as it sighed once more before saying: "I'm sorry."

It didn't feel like a true apology given all it had put me through. But I took it anyway, nodding slowly and turning to face the small fire.

"But Rena—"

I felt a small gust of wind and gawked at the fox which stood tall on the other side of the flames. The cackling orange complimented it's golden fur, bringing out the stark white fur not only on it's belly but also on it's neck. It's eyes were even more narrow than I had thought and it hard purple markings under it's eyes. fur spiked up on it's shoulders and it had purple gloves that went past it's elbows and had the yin and yang symbol right on top of it's hands. The Cancer symbol, was also printed on it's thighs. It's claws and feet were white with black nails while it's ears were tipped with white. It was tall and lean and feral looking. But more than anything, you could tell it was powerful, no not it, her, she was powerful. Her voice was sultry, feminine and strong. It verged on bored whenever it spoke, bored but all knowing.

I was stunned, stunned by it's closeness and the presence it exuded. I was sure it was staring right into my soul. It tore it's powerful gaze on me and fixed a look on the rabbit who pouted and looked away.

"Finish healing her." The fox said.

The rabbit's eyes bulged. "Whaaat? Renamon? No. N—"

"I didn't ask." The fox cut the rabbit off again.

I stared at the two of them, at this commanding banter of theirs and watched as the rabbit, full of hesitation went around the fire and stopped just less than a foot away from me.

"You have to lie down." It said, seeming more interested in it's boots than in me.

"Excuse me?"

"You have to lie down. You can only be healed if Cutemon touches your wound." The fox said from across the fire.

I glanced nervously at the fox before glaring down at the rabbit. Then something the fox had said from before clicked. _Finish healing her_. It had been healing me before, when I was unconscious.

"At most because of where your wound is, you'll feel a slight headache." The fox continued.

Slight? That was an understatement. I remembered my pounding headache, how blood was pumping so quickly in my head I could feel every vein working. But I found myself lowering to the ground anyway, shooting the rabbit wary looks but trusting the fox.

"Do I have to close my eyes?" I asked as the rabbit cracked its fingers.

"No." the fox answered. "Just lie still."

I could feel the rabbit's fingers on my head, soft, light and gentle. Hands that it didn't deserve, but comforting nonetheless.

It applied slight pressure and then I could feel warmth spreading from the rabbit's fingertips to my whole head. I listened to the leaves rustling gently in the light breeze, listened to the soft cackling of the fire and felt it's warmth in my toes.

"So other than being a little demon you heal? That's a little strange don't you think?" It was snarky but the rabbit had it coming.

The rabbit huffed. "I didn't want to heal you. I'd rather you bleed out in all honesty."

"But you'll stand there and heal her 100%." The for advised.

"Do I want to? No. Do I have to? Unfortunately. But mess with me human, and I'll leave the bruise."

"Was my head cracked open or something?" It was meant as a joke but the silence said it all.

"Oh God…"

"Stop fidgeting. It makes it harder when you move." The rabbit snapped.

"How bad was it?" My voice was frantic.

"Not as bad as it seems." The fox said calmly.

"It was gushing. You had to see it. If I could've taken a picture, I would've."

I fought the urge to slap the fox against a tree trunk and instead settled for pressing my lips into a tight line.

"Cutemon." The fox said, a warning weighing heavy on her voice.

"Cutemon?" I repeated, finally that word. It had the finality of a name.

"Yeah that's my name." The rabbit grumbled. "And 'm healing her, aren't I?"

"My apologies for Cutemon. He doesn't know much about manners or common sense."

"It's just that I don't see the point of helping slimy, no-good humans." Cutemon huffed. "You don't seem to grasp the fact that this could get us in a load of trouble."

"Enough." The fox grumbled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"That you're the one that's gonna get us killed in the worst way possible?" Cutemon asked. "I mean if you count that guaranteed death and the slow torture they'll put us through, I'd say it speaks for itself."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, more confused than ever, my headache increasing.

"Humans aren't allowed in these parts, _girl_." Cutemon growled. The "girl" was condescending but I let it go.

"Where am I?"

"Where do you think you are?" The fox countered.

"I'm not home, not on Earth." I flinched as I felt the wound on my head close up completely. "I thought I was dreaming but…that's out with all this pain."

"You're in the Digital World." The fox finished.

"Digital…World?" I repeated.

"Done." Cutemon pushed off my head and slid his hands together as he scurried near the fire.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and looked up at the fox.

"Which is where?"

"Not on Earth." Cutemon said as if it was obvious, which it was but that wasn't the point.

"Cutemon's right but the two are connected. There are moments when our worlds collide. We're a lot closer than you think." The fox said.

"How did I get here?" I asked, looking around the forest which now looked less magical and awesome and now looked eerie.

"I just found you in that forest." Cutemon said. "Like you were asleep or something."

"You didn't see how I got here?" I asked, my brow creasing.

"Nope." Cutemon said with a shrug.

"But we assume that you made it here just like every other human has." The fox asked.

"How's that?" I asked.

"Through portals. They're opening and closing all on their own now. Each time they open here more and more children appear and they're captured."

"Captured? By who?" I asked.

"By the Darkness." Cutemon said.

"Darkness? What's that?"

Cutemon and the fox exchanged a look. They were silent and it made me nervous. I stared at the two of them, waiting for one of them to crack.

"Answer me!" I snapped.

"The Darkness is a lot of things. It's been here for as long as we can remember, since the beginning of the Digital World." Cutemon sighed.

"Okay…" I mumbled.

"It can only be stopped by the Chosen." The fox said.

"Chosen?" I repeated, feeling breathless.

"They always appear to save us but…the Darkness…no one's come." Cutemon growled.

I looked at him. He seemed upset and now that I was focused, I saw that he was. With the firelight I could make out tears in his eyes. his small shoulders were trembling and for the first time the little monster actually looked vulnerable.

"Humans would come and go…humans would come and they were supposed to help us and they were captured…and there's nothing." Cutemon sniffed. "The Darkness is winning and there's no one here to save us!"

"Cutemon." The fox said.

Cutemon swung around, tears streaming down his face as he glared between the fox and I.

"Then we started getting hurt for protecting you! All of us losing everything all because we were saving you! We were trying to help you! But none of you could help us!"

"Cute—"

That was all Renamon was able to say before Cutemon jumped away from the fire and ran toward the forest, disappearing into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: **

**Nora**

"Wake up!"

A claw-clad hand came down hard on my shoulder and shook my body. I was jolted from my peaceful sleep and woke with a start, gasping for air as my eyes struggled to see past the blurriness.

Groggy, I pushed myself up and continued to look around until I caught sight of the fox standing beside me, glaring down at me. I ran through the events of last night, remembering that I wasn't home in my bed as my dream had said. I remembered Cutemon healing me and then running off. I remembered the fox and I growing silent after, both of us staring into the swirling orange flames and I remember drifting off.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to rub away my groggy sleepiness in the process but failing and feeling just as tired and sore as I had the night before. apparently sleeping on the floor of a forest all night did terrible things for the neck.

But there was urgency in the fox's movements and I watched her move swiftly around, scattering the burnt logs, rubbing in the ash with the dirt.

"Don't just sit there. Get up." She growled and I instantly jumped to my feet, feeling nervous.

"What's going on?" I breathed.

"They're coming." The fox grumbled, an edge to her voice, her eyes shining with ice.

"What's coming?" I asked, looking around the forest fearing a horde of incoming blue dinosaurs but instead seeing my answer stretching out atop the trees behind us. Just a few yards away I could see it, the vast dark cloud, looking thicker now that it was closer. In fact, it hardly resembled a cloud at all. If it looked like anything, it was like a dark mist. An eerie black mass stretching over and covering the green trees.

I swallowed. "What happens when that touches us?"

"Don't worry about the cloud. Worry about what's inside of it." The fox grumbled.

I turned to face her. "Wha-what's inside of it?"

The fox measured me with a look and seemed just about to answer until a vicious roar echoed from behind us, shaking the leaves on the trees and making me jump. The fox stiffened and glared into the forest in response.

The only problem was, I couldn't place the roar. It sounded different than the blue dinosaur, in fact playing it over in my head it didn't sound like a roar at all, but a powerful bird call. A massive _SQUACK_ out of a massive bird. The breeze that rustled through the leaves felt hot against my skin, almost humid as well.

"What was that?" I asked, my heartbeat in my throat.

The fox grabbed my arms and jerked me forward and I let her lead me deeper into the forest, down the path Cutemon had ran just last night.

"Where are we going?" I breathed.

"I have to hide you." The fox said.

"Why?" But I knew the answer. Enslavement. This was proof that the fox was doing me a favor and even though I burned inside to ask her why she was still saving me, I kept it to myself in case she changed her mind. In case she ditched me like the stupid rabbit.

The fox glanced back at me from over it's shoulders and I could practically hear her asking herself the same question until her eyes widened.

"Mickey Bullet!"

It came from a voice behind us and almost as quickly as I heard it was as quickly as the fox pushed me out of the way. I felt my ankle twist the wrong way as my body fell to the side. I felt the impact of the attack land just moments away from where I had been just seconds before and looked back toward the voice.

Except, I didn't see anything. The fox was on edge, glaring into the treetops, seeing something that I couldn't quite make out.

"Well, well, well." The voice continued, a teasing tone in it's voice. "Look what we have here."

"Smooth criminal." Another voice said, this one more mature than the first, which sounded bubbly and girly.

"Who's there?" I breathed, fearing the worst. The voices didn't match the giant bird cry from before but I wasn't going to take chances. One day in this world and I already knew not everything was as it seemed.

"How do you plan on explaining this betrayal, Renamon?" The giggly voice asked.

"Why don't you show yourselves and find out." The fox growled, it's claws clenching into tight fists. "I'll be more than happy to tell you face to face."

"Hanging with a human?" The older voice gasped. "So unlike you, my furry friend."

"Guess you never knew me." The fox continued.

"We'll go with giving you a second chance." The mature voice countered.

"Hand over the girl and we'll let you walk." The giggly voice said.

"Come out here and fight me for her." The fox challenged.

"Feisty." The giggly voice laughed.

"Like always." The mature voice added.

"So if you knew it was coming, why bother giving me an option?"

It was a question greeted with silence until there was a rustling in the leaves and before I knew it a massive lance was being stabbed into the ground, and the fox was jumping back just in time to avoid it.

"It's because we're so forgiving." The white figure wielding the lance breathed.

I was frozen with fear, stuck on the massive lance in the figure's hands but slowly I let my eyes trace over the holder and found that it looked like a little girl. A girl no more than eight with a long pink bunny hat/cape thing. It was dressed like a nun, tiny clover-looking crosses embroidered on the girl's immaculate dress. The lance itself was golden and twice the size of the small girl but she wielded it as if it weighed nothing.

"Maybe you should think that over." The fox huffed. As graceful as it's leap had been, it was obvious it hadn't expected it and was now paying for it.

"Maybe." The white figure said, standing up while pulling the lance upright. It looked at me, a small face framed by a cascading mane of straight gray hair and eyes that were just as gray, her iris twice the size of a normal humans and also marked in the middle, where her pupil should have been by a black cross.

I shivered. I had been so sure the girl had been human but it was clear it was just as big a freak show as everything else that existed in this world.

"Last chance." The giggly voice from the trees called.

"I didn't ask for chances." The fox growled, it's hands and feet engulfing in a ghostly blue flames simultaneously.

"Bless Fire!" Shots rang out from the trees and I watched them pelt the ground leading toward the fox's feet. I watched in disbelief as the fox swiped at each bullet with grace. But it was just as she was finishing up that the lance-wielding girl jumped forward with her weapon at the ready.

"Watch out!" I shouted just in time. The fox swung to face the the girl just as she lifted the lance above her head.

"Divine Pierce!" She shouted as she swiped down and the fox reached out one flame-covered hand, catching the lance and flinching. Her brow furrowed with focus and she let out a gurgled groan as she struggled against the tiny girl, as the lance hovered just over where her heart was.

"I think it's cute you're resisting." The giggly voice from the trees observed. "It's almost like you think you stand a chance against us."

The fox continued to struggle, ignoring the voice and focusing on the situation at hand which left her on her knees, her arms struggling to push the lance away.

"Anthony! Prepare!" The giggly voice echoed throughout the forest and I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand.

What was Anthony? Why did that not sound at all good? My head whipped in every direction, my eyes struggling to make out shapes in the trees until I came face to face somehow with the mouth of a silver gun.

My mouth went dry and all I could see was the darkness inside the tiny hole as my palms began to itch. The person at the end of this gun was a girl with the same face as the lance girl. They even looked the same age and height. Except this one was donning a black nun outfit with lace socks that ended right at the middle of her thighs. She was wearing a cat cape/hat and she had a light blush on her cheeks.

She giggled as she watched me fill with fear and I realized it was the same giggly voice from the trees and this one felt like the deadliest of the two.

"I'd choose my next moves wisely, human." The girl said.

There was a shriek and both of us turned to where the fox and the white bunny girl had been standing. Except now the bunny girl was flying back, narrowly missing a tree as her body crumpled in the grass.

"Blanc!" The cat girl shouted.

The fox glared at me.

"Run!"

"Noir! Don't let the human get away!" The bunny shouted as she she struggled to push herself up.

The cat girl looked at me and reached for me quickly but I was faster and stumbled back. That was also when I heard the gun cock and saw the fox disappearing into thin air.

Run. Yeah. Right.

I turned and ran as fast as I could into the trees, wondering what the advice was in order to avoid getting shot. Was it to run in zigzags? I felt like such an obvious target that I knew this cat lady would read my movements in a matter of seconds.

"Don't worry, sister. She won't get very far with Saberdramon."

I almost looked back over my shoulder. Almost. And of course I regretted it when a dark shadow appeared overhead and that powerful bird sound from before came with it. I felt the ground shake, the trees rustle my stomach liquefy.

I knew whatever this creature was, it was huge. Probably bigger than the dinosaur. I trembled at that thought, but continued to push forward.

"MACH SHADOW!"

It started as a light wind behind me and I told myself not to look back but found myself looking anyway. I could see a dark shadow flying through the trees at an intense speed and the closer it got, the more wind speed it picked up along the way. My hair whipped around my face and I was pretty sure my feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

I screamed but the wind was too strong and before I knew it, I was flying in whatever direction the wind wanted me to go. As it broke through trees, my body went with it and I didn't stop flying until a few yards later where my body went down like a log and I came down hard on my shoulder.

"NIGHT ROAR!" I held my breath, too weak to even face the dark figure in the sky.

I could feel something hot heading toward me and all I could do was turn my head weakly to the side, my eyes opening to a blurry picture of colors.

"Power Paw!" I recognized the fox's voice and felt its comforting presence in front of me just as I heard the sound of fists sailing in the air and smelled the scent of burning fur.

My vision cleared just as the fox swiped at what looked like a razor sharp, feather covered in black flames.

"You have to run." The fox panted.

"What was that?" I breathed, struggling to my feet.

"Saberdramon."

"Saber—" The name had barely left my mouth before another vicious SQUACK filled the air. Goosebumps rose on my skin as I slowly looked up at the sky and saw it, a bird covered in cackling black flames with razor sharp teeth and golden eyes.

And it was flying right toward us.

The fox growled under its breath but it was clear. That thing had us cornered right where it wanted us. With the speed it was coming and the space it was flying toward, the trees would fall over. There was no amount of running we could do to try and escape it. either way we would get hurt and it wouldn't be just a few cuts.

I swallowed and looked at the fox.

"What do we do?" I breathed, realizing my hands were shaking.

"Stay close." The fox grumbled.

I inched a little closer, struggling to stay calm, struggling to make out some sort of plan. This fox could fight and judging by it's movements it was best in hand to hand combat. Right now the attack was too obvious and if the fox were to counter it, it would only hurt us in return.

"It's a suicide mission." I breathed. That bird was going all in and it didn't seem to care that it's increasing speed could hurt it as well.

The fox reached back to grab me just as the broke through the trees. As leaves and twigs fell down around us, the fox hugged me close and I felt us jump. In the time it took me to blink, we were in the air and the fox was gracefully dodging the flaming bird, narrowly missing broken tree trunks. But then we broke through the debris, heard the bird cry out as it face-planted to the ground below us and felt my stomach flip-flop as the fox gave one final flip and we landed on the other side of the bird.

I coughed, feeling dust in my throat instantly but I was grateful to be alive. Except, the bird wasn't done yet. It was badly injured and that was all the opening the fox needed.

"Always been an idiot." The fox grumbled before disappearing and reappearing above the bird, it's hands and feet once again becoming clouded in the blue flames.

"Power Paw!" She delivered one flaming fist to the birds back and it gave out one more sharp cry before it's body began to dissolve into what looked like colorful dust particles. The fox landed at the center of it all and I watched as the particles flew toward it's body, watching them disappear the moment they touched her.

When it was over, the forest was still once more but the fox was still on edge.

"So strong." The bunny girl commented. I swung around and saw the two of them sitting on top of a tree.

"This is what you want to do, Renamon?" The cat asked, seeming innocently mystified.

"It's unlike you."

"It's beneath you."

The fox glared at them, her fur on edge, her body ready to either dodge or strike. She watched them intently, looking for a twitch, for any sort of movement.

"You win today." The bunny said.

"But we'll be back, won't we sister?" The cat lady asked, placing a hand on the bunny's shoulder.

The bunny nodded. "Of course we will. We'll just give Renamon some time to think about her actions and know that the next time she sees us…"

"Unless she changes her tone…"

"Will be the last."

"And her human friend…"

"Will be ours."

An eerie chill filled the area after that but they disappeared in the passing breeze, their laughter echoing all around.

The fox glared at the ground and then looked at me.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We keep moving." The fox replied.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: **

**Tommy**

"Takuya!"

"Zoey!"

"Koji!"

All I knew, was that it was cold and we wouldn't be able to walk very far for very long. This snowy and icy wasteland was vast and neverending and the blizzard wasn't helping either.

"JP!"

"Kouichi"

Neemon shouted, gripping onto the waistband of his red pants s he struggled through the foot long snow.

I was shaking in my t-shirt and jeans, trudging through the snow in a pair of Chucks. Chucks of all things. I could already feel the water in my thin socks and I was losing feeling in my toes.

"N-neemon." I grunted.

It wasn't that I was annoyed Neemon was trying to find out friends. I was just as worried. After all we had been together just moments ago, or was it hours ago? Either way we had all been together when that massive portal ripped open out of nowhere and sucked us up. But we were in the middle of a snowstorm with roaring winds and endless snowflakes blowing around so heavily it was impossible to see yet alone keep your eyes open.

I would have been shouting too if the environment had been different but there was Neemon screaming out into that dark abyss and it take long to realize it was useless and a waste of energy.

"Bokomon!" Neemon continued.

I wondered how I even ended up with Neemon of all people. He had said something about getting separated but being grateful he had found me and then we had started walking. I knew from past experience that questioning Neemon for more info was useless. It wasn't that he was clueless, he just wasn't as aware as Bokomon was.

"Patamon!" Neemon shouted, desperately.

Poor little guy. If Patamon was out here I could see his small body shivering in the snow, tears turning to ice as they streamed down his cheeks. But I couldn't think about the little guy. All I could think about was me right now. I needed a place where I could just warm up and get my thoughts together.

_If Takuya was here, he'd know what to do._

I couldn't shake the thought from my head and couldn't help but agree with it once again. Takuya would know what to do. He probably would have found a place to hold over by now.

I glared through the blizzard as Neemon struggled to walk, the snow now up to his waist.

"Where is everyone?!" Neemon shouted.

"N-N-Neemon." I said.

He stopped walking and turned to face me.

I held out my arms and watched him waddle toward me. He climbed into my arms and sighed.

"What do we do, Tommy?"

It was a good question, considering all I could do was keep walking. So that's what we did.

But there was only so far that we could walk with the pounding snow. The blizzard picked up even more and a few minutes later, I dropped to my knees, tripping somehow.

"Tommy! You alright?"

I pushed myself up, my arms sinking all the way to my shoulders in the snow. There was no way I could let it all end this way. The two of us freezing to death out in this blurry wilderness. There had to be a better way to go out.

"Wa-wait! Tommy! What's that?" Neemon asked.

I gripped my D-Tector and then remembered that it didn't work. My first plan the moment I had Neemon by my side was just to spirit evolve on the spot but the D-Tector was unresponsive.

I looked to where Neemon was pointing, feeling my muscles tighten. That was all we needed, was to be attacked now of all times. In this weather of all things. Whatever was coming toward us was big, about the size of a truck.

I pulled my D-Tector out from my pocket and held it out toward the incoming shadow and the action was greeted with a hearty laugh.

"Check these two out, Garurumon. They think we gonna hurt em'."

It was an elderly voice, an elderly warm voice that reminded me of my grandfather's. As they stepped closer, I made out a Garurumon and a Jijimon on his back.

"It's a human." Garurumon grumbled.

"That's right, Garurumon. But that boy there is not just any human." Jijimon hopped off of the Garurumon's back and came to my side.

"This one here is a Chosen One. He's a Digi-destined., just like those two we have back home."

…

This was much better. As the storm kicked on outside, Garurumon and Jijimon took us to their home located in a cave which as it turned out was just a few hundred yards away.

In short, we would've been frozen before we would have graced the doorstep according to Jijimon but at least we would have been heading toward some sort of civilization.

We burst through the door and I was shaking so bad, Jijimon raced to get Neemon and I blankets. They threw several around us and I sniffed, feeling the fire in my face and all over my body. I was willing to bet that I was all red, from head to toe and I shivered with Neemon by the fire.

"Oh great…more people." It was a female voice, a dry voice at that. I looked and saw a girl with dark blonde hair sitting by the table in the corner, nursing a steaming cup of what looked like tea. Her hair went past her shoulders and fell in loose curls. She was thin, with slight curves too and she was dressed no better than me. She wore a pair of shorts and a crop top with a baggy gray sweater over it and a pair of sneakers on her feet. The way she sat was regal almost as if she was some kind of princess. Her comment alone let me know that Neemon and I were just another mouth to feed and the mouths that were being fed already were a hassle.

"Don't be so mean, Jules." Another girl who was sitting on the couch just beside it. This one had a rounder face, with full lips and a smaller nose. Her hair came down past her shoulders as well and was a dark brown color. She was also a little thicker than the blonde and she too wore a pair of shorts with a raglan shirt and a pair of Chucks. On her lap, fast asleep sat a Tanemon.

"I'll be right back with some tea for you." Jijimon said, ignoring the two girls.

"What's your story, kid?" The blonde, Jules, asked.

I shivered.

The other girl shook her head and gave me a small smile. "My name is Ellie." She nodded toward her friend. "This is Jules."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, new kid and strange Dr. Seuss character." Jules said, giving me a fake salute.

"What's a Seuss?" Neemon sniffed, looking up to me for clarification.

"Great, he's also mute." Jules said with an eye roll and a dainty sip of tea.

"He's not mute. He's one of the Legendary Warriors." A small voice chimed.

I hadn't noticed it before but there was a digimon on Jules' lap, a soft purple hue color and it looked like a teardrop. It was a baby digimon.

"Legendary Warrior?" Jules repeated. Her face scrunched up as if the words left a sour taste in her mouth.

"You mean his digimon isn't that digimon next to him?" Ellie asked.

"His n-name i-is N-N-Neemon." I shivered, glaring at the fire and wondering if I could inch closer to it.

"His digimon is Kumamon." Neemon said matter-of-factly.  
>"And what's your name?" Ellie asked.<p>

"T-Tommy." I breathed.

Ellie nodded. "Nice to meet you, Tommy."

Jules rolled her eyes again and then rose from her chair. Moonmon hopped off her lap and lingered by the couch while she headed toward me, crouching down when she reached me.

"So Legendary Warrior sounds pretty important, also pretty powerful too." She looked me over. "Sounds like the kind of title that knows things. That knows how to get us back to the Human World."

I scoffed. "I don't even know how I got here."

Ellie nodded and actually seemed sympathetic while Jules wasn't impressed.

"Here's some soup." Jijimon came into the room again, balancing a tray of two steaming bowls of liquid. He laid it down in front of Neemon and I and one whiff of it made my stomach rumble.

"There's plenty for everyone so eat up." Jijimon advised and headed toward Garurumon who was nestled on a mattress in the corner of the room.

"Once the storm let's up Tommy, Jijimon is going to take us to the train station." Ellie explained. "You're welcome to join us."

I nodded slowly, thinking over my options. There wasn't anything for miles anywhere around this place. This house alone seemed like an odd one. A train lead to civilization, a new town and a place where I could plan ahead and see if my friends were around. Sure it meant hanging out with these two girls a little bit longer, but it was my only option.

"We need to get out of here." Jules grumbled as she moved back to her seat. "We have to go home."

"I know, Jules." Ellie nodded. "I want to go home too and we will, soon."

"How did you guys end up here?" I asked.

Ellie looked at me. "We just woke up here. In the middle of a snowstorm with these two mons- I mean, _digimon_ at our sides."

I nodded.

"But I'm pretty sure we were at summer camp before this and then bam! We're in a totally different world with wolves as big as cars and old men with impossibly thick and big feet walk around." Jules shook her head.

"But you've been here, before. Right, Tommy?" Ellie asked.

I nodded.

"Do you know what's been happening around here?" Ellie asked. "Did you hear about the Darkness?"

"Darkness?" I repeated. The only Darkness in the Digital World I could remember was Lucemon but we had beaten him fair and square, pummeled him to be exact.

"It's a powerful force the Darkness, been here in the shadows since the beginning of time." Jijimon said.

I looked back at him, saw him leaning against Garurumon's body.

"And they chose now to appear?" I asked.

"Apparently they're behind all those missing children in our world." Ellie explained. "They're opening portals all over the world and sucking in kids at random."

I nodded. I remembered the news stories but there were no connections and yet here it was. but why take all the kids? What was the point of taking them at random? Plus what did they do with the kids once they had them? Could the Digital World really house all the children of earth? And if so where would they put them?

"We haven't seen anyone from the Darkness." Ellie said as Tanemon roused from her nap.

I looked at Neemon. "Any of this sound familiar to you?"

"You think Lucemon is behind this?" He countered.

"Lucemon?" Jules repeated. "What's that?"

"It's a digimon my friends and I fought the last time we were here. He was stealing the fractal codes of areas, well having his henchmen steal it for him. He would leave lands barren, empty. He'd wipe away everything so that nothing but dust and dirt was left." I explained.

"That's terrible." Ellie gasped.

"Did you destroy him?" Jules asked.

I nodded. "Yeah but you never know. He was pretty dark. Only problem is…if he was back I doubt he would steal every other kid. It makes no sense. He would find my friends and I and take us."

"Maybe it was to draw you guys out." Ellie said.

I shook my head. "But it's at random in our world. You said it yourself."

"So let's say this Lucemon is behind this…" Jules said, grabbing her tea cup again. "What's the plan? What are you going to do?"

"My friends and I need to stop him…but…" I pulled out my D-Tector, still unresponsive in my hands.

"Is that your digivice?" Ellie asked and then dug in her pocket for something. She pulled out what looked like an Apple Watch but a little bigger. Hers was a vibrant shade of crimson.

"This one is mine." Ellie smiled softly.

"Jijimon said we're Chosen too." Jules said. "But since your title is all big and heavy and since you said there are more of you I think you guys can handle this all fine."

"Is something wrong with your digivice?" Ellie asked.

"It doesn't work." Neemon said and I glared at him.

Jules laughed. "Oh of course!" She eased back into her seat. "Perfect, just perfect."

Ellie ignored her and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Jijimon.

"Do you know where your friends are?" Jijimon asked.

I looked at him and shrugged. "No idea."

"But I'm sure once we find them all your D-Tector will work again." Neemon said.

"But that doesn't help us get home." Jules groaned.

"But maybe once their digivice's work we'll be able to go home." Ellie said.

"But not before we find my brother." Jules said.

I looked at her. "You're here with a group too?"

Jules looked at me. "We're not sure. We can't remember much but I swear I remember being in the water and I remember a whole bunch of people on shore shouting at us too."

"It sounds like a dream." Ellie said.

"But you'll get home, Ellie." Tanemon cooed from her lap. "I'll make sure of it."

"You too, Jules." The teardrop digimon said.

Jules looked at her digimon, concern in her eyes, actual genuine concern. "Oh Moonmon, I could never leave and not take you with me. This place is not safe for you right now."

"It's time for some rest." Jijimon croaked. "We all have a big journey ahead of ourselves tomorrow to that station. We have to be on time or the train will leave you all."

"Can't afford that." Jules said, scooping up Moonmon in her arms.

Ellie nodded and nestled back into the couch, pulling her feet up. She hugged Tanemon closer to her body and pulled a blanket out from under them.

Jijimon handed Neemon and I a pillow and fed the fire behind us more wood. I watched Jules nestle into a firm looking bed near the kitchen and pull a furry blanket over them.

"Goodnight Chosen children." Jijimon croaked as he shut off the lights and the shadows of the flames danced on the ceiling.

I laid awake for a while, hearing the howling wind outside. Darkness. Lucemon. If he was back, we were in for a world of trouble. He would be pissed and he would be hunting each of us down. and we were all separated now and sure we were strong but there was only so much we could do when it was just one of us facing him.

As I felt my eyes growing heavy, I thought once more about what Takuya would do. He would know what to do. He would know how to make everything better. And he wouldn't be as scared as I was just thinking about it.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys glad to see all the views i've been getting! If you could also drop some reviews, some thoughts on what you guys think that would be great!

**Chapter 8: **

**Nora: **

We had been walking what felt like an eternity.

And my legs were on fire, sweat was pouring down my back and I was pretty sure my hair was a giant puffball. I quickly tied it back into a tight bun, feeling more sweat form in the process and wondered how the fox could manage to do this hiking with all that fur.

"Where are we going?" It was about the tenth time I had asked that since we had started walking and I was pretty sure it was starting to annoy her. But if I was, she didn't show it and kept looking straight ahead.

"Hey—"

She lifted a hand, her ears twitching slightly. My words caught in my throat and I even stilled my breathing. The forest was alive with small sounds. Animals scurrying about in the brush, distant leaves moving in the breeze, distant twigs snapping. From what I could hear nothing to worry about. Even the dark cloud from before had disappeared shortly after Saberdramon was defeated and those twin nuns, Blanc and Noir disappeared.

But something was wrong if the fox was still rooted in place. Her head jerked to the east and her eyes narrowed.

"This way."

She started moving immediately and I followed her.

"What's that way?" I panted. "How far away is it?"

I had never been much of a complainer but when one walked nonstop for three hours, on path that wasn't exactly straight, it took a toll.

"I heard something this way." The fox said.

"Heard what?" I asked.

But I was greeted with silence and decided to just take it and clamp my mouth shut. I would see soon enough.

We walked for about a mile before I could make out the sounds of struggle a few feet away.

"Black Beam!" A powerful voice boomed. It was firm and audio book narrator worthy. The kind of voice dripping with class and control, the kind that could help you fall asleep if it tried hard enough because it was so calm.

"That's right, Dobermon! Get him!"

Something within me tightened at the last voice and I felt my brow raise. I knew that voice. My mind raced. I would recognize it anywhere.

"Dobermon?" The fox breathed, more urgency in her step.

"Evil Hurricane!" A snarky voice shouted and I could hear wind picking up right before a scream shot out. A scream that hit me right in my soul and a scream that helped it all click.

"KATIE!" I shouted, running past the fox, practically shoving her out of my way as I ran through the brush.

I burst into a clearing just as the attack finished and I saw the aftermath. Standing on one side was an orange ogre clad in tiger striped loincloth and armbands. It had shiny bolt twisted into spots on it's skin and long white hair that ended at it's waist and looked coarse. It had jagged teeth a huge mouth with dark gray eyes. In it's hand it had a spike and bolted bone.

On the other side was a Doberman looking creature that was of course bigger than the average Doberman. In fact, it looked like it was up to my shoulder. Beside it was a crumpled, defeated body.

"Katie!" I shouted, my voice desperate.

"Another one!" The ogre growled, turning to face me. "They keep popping up like flies around here."

The body stirred and slowly ever so slowly, it rolled to the side and looked up. My heart swelled as tears lit my eyes and recognition lit her face.

"Nora!" Katie shouted. But her voice wasn't as relieved as mine. It was filled with a warning.

"Heavy Stick!" I turned around only to see that goblin racing toward me with it's weapon raised high above it's head. I screamed and turned to run except I ended up tripping and falling hard on my knee. Either way the bolted death trap was still heading right for my head and I could imagine it cracking my skull open. The mere mental image made me queasy and I extended my hands as if that would do anything.

Just as the weapon was about to strike, I flinched, waiting the quick whip of pain except nothing came. I peeked through my fingers to see what the hold up was and saw the fox standing before me and her claw was gripping the front of the bat. If the bolts and spikes hurt her, she didn't show it and instead wore a look of determination.

"I don't think so." The fox growled, through clenched teeth and with one forceful shove, she sent the ogre stunned stumbling back.

"R-R-Renamon?" The ogre gasped, his eyes wide.

I breathed a quick sigh of relief before running toward Katie who was petting the dog-like creature's head. As I got closer though, my walk and urgency faltered. It certainly was a big dog, but it was also lean muscle with protruding bones, including what looked like a protruding spine. It had a spiked collar, rough looking skin and razor sharp claws. It also had what looked like red eyes in it' arms and legs, which sent a chill down my spine. I was sure from where I stood that this dog was the creepiest and scariest creature I had ever seen and I wasn't sure if I should feel bad for it since some of it's bones were so obvious or if I should be scared because of how razor sharp and lethal it's collar alone was.

"Katie?" I breathed.

She looked back at me, tears shining in her brown eyes and the creature in her lap stirred, it's eyes fluttering open weakly.

"He took a direct hit." She sniffed. "Trying to protect me."

I opened my mouth but no words came out. I looked down at the creature and sure he looked pretty hurt but I was sure it wasn't as bad as it seemed. At most it just hurt…a lot.

"You attacked a good friend of mine." The fox said, it's eyes as hard as stone. "You better think twice about your next move."

"Renamon—"

"Shut up, Dobermon." The for snapped, cutting the dog's weak plea short.

"Renamon…" I breathed, turning to see the fox hovering over the ogre who looked scared out of his mind to the point he was trembling.

"She's going to delete him?" Katie asked.

I glanced at her. Her eyes were still watery and I could see that she was torn between seeking revenge for her dog friend or sticking up for the other creature who was shaking so bad he hadn't even thought to pick up his weapon which was just a foot away.

"Fugamon here clearly needs to learn a lesson." The fox, no, Renamon said, taking a step forward.

The ogre gasped, tears shining in his eyes. "N-No! Please! Renamon! My apologies!"

"Renamon…" The dog coughed.

"I said shut up." The fox snapped, it's voice as hard as ice.

"Renamon, let him walk." I found my voice out of nowhere. I could feel for both sides but the terror so apparent in the Fugamon's eye, made me remember the terror I had felt when standing back to snout with that dinosaur.

Renamon looked at me with that same icy stare and I shivered.

"Destroying him won't solve anything." I said. "You have to focus on your friend, right? Well he's hurt so we need to get him help so let's not waste any time."

It was then that I saw a glint in the ogre's eye and with Renamon turned to fully glare at me, I saw the ogre reach for it's weapon. My eyes widened and just as Renamon swung back around, the weapon was aimed right at her chest.

"Renamon!" I shouted, but it was too late.

"EVIL HURRICANE!" There was a powerful blast of wind that made my hair whip around my face and my legs go out from under me. Just as I dropped that was when the Renamon's body went flying back, bashing into a tree trunk so hard, it snapped in half.

"Renamon!" The dog shouted, struggling to stand up.

"Dobermon!" Katie cried, arms extended, fresh tears shining in her eyes. "Don't hurt yourself!"

I looked at Renamon's crumpled body, fearing the worst but then I saw her pushing herself up, weakly, but getting up nonetheless.

"Still think I should spare him?" The fox coughed, foxing me with an icy stare.

I felt the hairs on my skin rise as my cheeks flushed. I felt stupid for not looking deeper, for not seeing the same threat she saw. All I saw was a creature so stunned and fearful it pained me to think of it being destroyed, of dissolving into that colorful dust.

"Go." I said and just as quickly as the words left my lips, Renamon was gone, reappearing again a few feet in the air, arms crossed into an "X" as a small purplish, hazy cloud formed around her chest area.

"Diamond Storm!" Razor sharp shards fired from the cloud, smashing into the ogre at not only an incredible speed but also in a very painful one. It cried out throughout the small storm and just as it was ending, it began to dissolve. Renamon landed as all the glittering dust particles flew toward her body, disappearing as soon as it touched her fur.

I pushed myself up, a distant pain in my knee when I felt something in my pocket. I reached inside, digging a little before I found it, something solid. I pulled it out and looked down at it, a watch of some kind watch, a shiny gold watch. As I held it in the palm of my hand, the screen came to life, making me jump.

"_Welcome, Guardian of Hope_", a warm voice announced. It was motherly in a way, full of care and sweetness.

"No way." Katie gasped and I looked at her, confused. She held up her wrist where a similar watch was fastened except hers was silver. "I got one of those too!"

"What is this?" I asked.

"A digivice." Renamon breathed, her eyes wide.

"You're a Chosen?" A voice gasped.

I swung around to face the familiar voice and saw Cutemon walking out from the bushes, his face riddled with shock, his body rigid. He stared between Katie and I before looked at Dobermon.

"Who's her partner?" Cutemon asked.

Dobermon chuckled, weakly. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Is it Cutemon?" I asked, fearing the worst. I wasn't sure what was happening but something told me being paired up with Cutemon would not work out so well.

"No." Dobermon said and we all looked at him as he nodded toward Renamon who I noticed was staring down at the ground, her eyes wide.

"It's Renamon."

But looking at her, hearing the pride and respect in Dobermon's voice, it was hard to think she felt the same way. With the haunted look on her face, it looked less like a blessing and more like a nightmare.

In fact, it looked like her worst nightmare was coming true.

…

"Chosen? What does that mean?" I asked Katie as we walked on.

Dobermon was healed by Cutemon, my knee was patched up along with Katie's scratches. Dobermon covered our flank with a silent Cutemon on his back. Renamon led the way to wherever we were going.

Katie smiled at me. "I don't get it but we're stuck here, that's what I gather."

"Stuck here? Katie, how did we even get here?"

"Did you hear about that Darkness thing yet?"

I shook my head.

"Well this world, this place called the Digital World, the place we're in right now has been behind the disappearances of all those kids back on Earth. More specifically it's the Darkness that it responsible."

I nodded. "What happens to the kids?"

"They're held captive, but the Darkness won't stop until all kids are captured, held in these special prisons all around this world. There are other Chosen before us, the only problem is that while they appear when the Digital World is in danger, they haven't appeared yet."

"But we're here and we're Chosen?" I asked. "So is that why we appeared?"

"I think we were sucked in like everyone else." Katie said. "We just met out partners."

I looked at Renamon. "Partner, so what does that mean?"

"We cannot stop the darkness alone." Dobermon said softly. "Regular digivolution takes time, a lot of training but Chosen digimon have the strength of their tamers of partners to power them through. Together the Chosen child and Chosen digimon can stop the Darkness, but there are always more than one."

"Yeah there's a whole team out there." Katie said her eyes twinkling. "A whole team that we're a part of."

"So what do we have to do?" I asked. "And when do we get to go home?"

"We can't go home until we beat the Darkness and save the day." Katie said.

"How long will that take?" I asked.

"We have to get stronger." Dobermon explained. "The Darkness has digimon on many different levels and we have to gain more levels in order to beat them."

"In other words you guys have a long way to go." Cutemon said.

"We can't go home even if we could." Katie said. "And it has nothing to do with the fact that we're Chosen."

"Why can't we?"

"All the portals are closed. All doorways into your world are sealed and the power to turn them all on is in the hands of Ladydevimon, the mastermind behind the children abduction and one of the Darkness Chiefs." Dobermon explained.

"So if we find the kids and free them and destroy this Ladydevimon, we're home free?" I asked.

"Possibly." Katie said and leaned close. "But we have to help them, we have an obligation to them. They're our partners and that means they will do anything to protect us."

I nodded and realized how many times Renamon had put her life on the line to protect me. She had done it all so easily, without hesitation and she barely knew me. I looked at her. I had felt it from the moment we had met, a connection of sorts and as unexplainable as it all was, it felt right, it felt good, and it was the scariest thing I had ever felt.

She had recklessly thrown herself in front of enemy attacks, defended me when she could have handed me over. It was dangerous to have a human around and now the danger was heightened because we were stuck together, "chosen" to be together or as Doberman had said earlier, "destined". The two for us meant to come together. The thought was nice and so did the feeling it birthed in my chest. I knew Renamon would have my back, knew she would defend me but the question was did she want that?

Sure she had volunteered to get me where I needed to go, but she didn't seem as enthused to be by my side Dobermon was with Katie. Even now, she walked as if she wasn't with the group and if I didn't know any better, she was sulking, her shoulders slumped, her posture defeated.

I looked at Katie. "You're usually the worrier. Why aren't you worrying now?"

Katie smiled nervously at the ground. "I was worried even when I was with Dobermon." Her hands balled into tight fists and she fixed me with a determined look.

"But then I thought about everything. I saw how much these creatures, need us. Have you seen any towns yet? Have you seen the Darkness in action?" Katie asked. She shivered. "I've only seen it from afar, but either way it's not fun. They're getting destroyed left and right, attacked and everything they know and love are being wiped out from under them."

I looked at Dobermon. "But won't you guys get in trouble for having us around?"

He nodded. "Humans and digimon are supposed to be distanced for now and we are now Chosen digimon and Chosen humans. Not a good combination. Our destiny is to destroy any evil that tries to destroy this world, The Digital World, and your Human World."

"But the Darkness wants it all, this world and ours." Katie said.

"With everyone that's able to stop them behind bars…" Dobermon added.

"Both worlds won't stand a chance." I finished.

I let that hang in the air for a moment, let the words send chills up my spine. I couldn't imagine such a terrible future, but it was happening right before my eyes.

"So what's the plan?" I asked. "Where are we walking to now?"

"Infinity Mountain." Dobermon explained. "The highest point in the Digital World and probably the safest spot. It is one of the only places that the Darkness has yet to capture because so many strong digimon call the mountain home."

"I just can't believe you're a Chosen." Cutemon grumbled from atop Dobermon's boney back.

I glared at him. "I can't believe you're still kicking."

He glared back at me. "I could say the same for you. I thought you would be taken out for sure."

"I thought this was what you wanted, Cutemon. You wanted the Chosen to show themselves and this is how you treat them?" Dobermon asked.

"When I said Chosen, I thought it meant kids who knew what they were doing not two bumbling idiots who look like they're on a field trip." Cutemon grumbled.

"What did you say?" I snapped.

"That's not very nice." Katie said.

"He doesn't have manners." I growled.

"Ignore, Cutemon." Dobermon said. "He will learn with time."

"We're here." Renamon's voice interrupted our fight and we all looked forward, our eyes following the base of a massive mountain up as it rose high above the trees and clouds.

"How could we miss that?" Katie breathed.

"It's hidden by the trees and fog." Cutemon sighed.

There was a small rocky path that led up the side of the mountain and from the looks of it wrapped around and around. I swallowed. It looked steep and aged and the furthest from safe. But, for whatever reason, everyone was heading up the steps, even Katie who gripped the rocky wall for support.

I looked back down the path we had walked and then down at my wrist where Katie had fastened my digivice. I thought back to the mysterious voice and looked up at to catch Renamon disappearing behind the bend.

Sure the thought of being her scared me as did the thought of being stuck here on behalf of being a Chosen as well. But, if what Katie had said was right, this Darkness needed to be stopped. Dobermon and Renamon were strong and if we were going to be getting a team, surely that team would be just as strong. Together we could make a difference, we could save this world and ours and everything would go back to normal.

I took a breath and took my first step up the sketchy-looking steps, all while fully believing in the title the digivice had given me. New Guardian of Hope. Yeah, it had a ring to it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: **

**Jeri: **

"Oh God! Oh God!"

The voice was hysterical and it felt like it made every blood vessel in my head popped with how close it was.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and found myself in the middle of what felt like chaos. Each blink made the flaming reality around me more real, more tangible. There was a thick, black smoke hanging heavy in the air, dust from the ground rising up in a dirty brown cloud around my face. there were screams and shrieks in the distance as well and the sounds of distant explosions as well.

I coughed and immediately felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to find Kenta hunched beside me, concern wearing heavy on his face.

"Jeri! You okay?"

"Oh man! Where are we? What's happening? What's going on?" Kazu was the one shrieking and pacing and I could feel him moving behind me.

I pushed myself up onto my knees and looked around and it was even bleaker than it looked when my face was at eye level. I couldn't make out anything with all the smoke and dust, just shadows moving around with heavy panting and desperate cries for help in the distance.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Jeri!" Calumon jumped into my arms and I hugged him to me tightly.

"Where's Takato?" I asked. I remembered being in his arms and feeling safe right before that bright light…

"I don't know, but we seriously have to get moving." Kenta said, helping me to my feet.

"Takato! Rika! Guilmon! Guys! Where are you!?" Kazu shouted.

Kenta helped me to my feet before glaring at Kazu. "Are you serious right now? You really think screaming in all this is a good idea?"

Kazu glared at him. "We have to find everyone!"

"Yeah but we don't need to give away our location in the process!" Kazu said.

I looked between them watching and feeling the tension rising. I lifted a hand, Calumon pressing his face into my neck.

"We have to find everyone before we go anywhere." I said before my cheeks grew hot. "I'm not leaving Takato. He was here, he was right next to me so he has to be here."

"I don't sense anyone else but us." Marineangemon said, floating around Kenta's head.

"I detect a digimon approaching!" Guardromon gasped.

We all followed his gaze and found a shadow approaching with two smaller ones by it's side. I held my breath until they burst from the smoke and we came face to face with a gypsy looking leopard digimon with shiny auburn hair trailing down it's back bound in an intricate braid. By it's side were two vicious looking Fugamon who carried even more vicious looking bone weapons.

"What is that?" Kenta breathed.

"It's Beastmon." MarineAngemon said.

"Looks like we missed a few." Beastmon said from behind her see-through face mask. She was dressed like a gypsy, gold hoops and bejeweled claws. While she certainly stood out in the appearance department, her presence made me uneasy and so did her confident smirk.

"Fugamon, capture these three." Beastmon commanded as the Fugamon stepped forward.

"Capture us?" Kazu gasped.

"We're not going anywhere with you!" I spat, speaking through my fear.

Beastmon's eyes narrowed. "Oh dear, I never expected you three would. You're Chosen children, you brats never go down without a fight."

"Evil Hurricane!" One of the Fugamon shouted, firing off it's mini-hurricane attack.

"Get behind me!" Guardromon shouted, jumping in front of Kenta. The rest of us followed suit just in as the attack slammed into Guardromon who grunted in response. But he withstood the attack and we were safe when it was over.

"Cute." Beastmon grumbled. "Get the digimon out of the way first. They'll be easy to catch after that."

"Not if we get you first!" Kazu shouted before looking at Guardromon. "Get these guys, buddy!"

"My pleasure!" Guardromon said, getting ready to attack. "Grenade Destroyer!" Holding out his arms, the missiles fired and were aimed right at the Fugamon who shielded themselves with their bones. Beastmon leaped gracefully from the explosions and laughed.

"That the best you brats have? This will be easier than I thought." She said.

My eyes narrowed.

"She's mocking us." Kenta grumbled.

"Then let's show her we're not joking around!" Kazu shouted.

Guardromon got ready to shower another wave of missiles just as the Fugamon burst out from the cloud of smoke from the last attack.

"Evil Hurricane!" They shouted in unison and the force of their combined attack slammed into us, forcing us off our feet and sending us back a few feet.

"They're so strong." I breathed.

"But they're just a bunch of Champions!" Kazu grunted.

"There has to be something more." Kenta panted.

"I got this!" MarineAngemon shouted. "Kahuna Waves!"

I knew that MarineAngemon's attack drained opponents of their will to fight and smiled feeling that was exactly what we needed. But the attack never made it very far because Beastmon leaped down from her perch and wiped it away with the wave of her hand.

"How sad." She cooed, smiling at us behind her mask.

"What do we do?!" Kenta sniffed.

"We have to protect Jeri." Kazu said. "You know Takato and everyone else will kill us if we don't."

"I don't need protection!" I snapped. "What we need to do is run."

"Run? You said to stay and look for Takato." Kenta breathed.

"Yeah well Takato has Guilmon and they can Biomerge so they should be fine. It's us we have to worry about." I said.

"Jeri!" Calumon cried.

I looked up just as I watched dark shadows gather at Beastmon's feet and shoot from the ground, taking form in what looked like tentacles.

My eyes widened. What was happening?

"Use a card!" Kenta shouted.

Kazu nodded, scrambling to pull out both his deck and digivice. He picked a card and swiped it but nothing happened. In fact his digivice didn't even light up. If anything it looked like it was off.

"What…what…what's going on?" Kazu shouted.

"It's not working!" Kenta shouted, trying his own. His hands hit the screen. "It's unresponsive!"

I pulled out my own just as one of the tentacles lashed out, wrapping itself around his neck and pulling back.

"Kenta"! Kazu shouted.

I reached out for him but he was jerked out of reach by the tentacle and just as MarineAngemon got ready to attack again, one of the tentacles wrapped around it's body and just moments after contact, MarineAngemon screeched in pain as it's body was hit with wave after wave of electric charge.

"What do we do?!" Calumon gasped.

"We have to run." Kazu grumbled. He looked at me. "Guardromon will make a distraction, Jeri. You need to run the minute he starts."

"I'm not leaving you guys behind!" I shouted as we watched Kenta being pulled into a metal cage. The minute he was in, the door creaked shut and Beastmon locked it.

"Running is futile." She said. "I'll get you all in one of these. It's only a matter of time and I have all the time in the world."

"We'll see about that!" Kazu shouted. "Guardromon! Let's get more smoke in the air!"

"Right! Grenade Destroyer!" This attack was stronger and aimed at the ground. As the ground cracked beneath our feet and smoke and dust rose in the air, I could hear the Fugamon charging and felt Kazu shove me harshly back. I stumbled and tripped, landing hard on my back.

I heard Kazu shriek and Guardromon cry out and just as the smoke cleared two of those black tentacles were shooting from the smoke and aimed right at me.

I screamed, pushing up to my feet and giving my run my all. One tentacle smashed into the ground but the other trailed right behind me. The gem on Calumon's head began to glow and I tripped just before the tentacle had a chance at touching me.

I slammed into the ground and Calumon went flying out of arms. I flipped onto my back, coughing just as Beastmon appeared perched on top of a jagged rock.

"Jeri! Run!" Kazu shouted. Looking past her I could see the boys and their digimon in cages.

"What are you going to do, Jeri? Run?" Beastmon laughed. "Why don't you stay still? That's a better idea."

Three tentacles shot up from the ground and I gasped, my eyes wide, my heart slamming in my chest. I couldn't go down like this. I could make a break for it I just needed a plan. I needed time to think which none of this had allowed me to do. Calumon couldn't fight, but then again Calumon was valuable. I couldn't let anything happen to him. But who was going to protect me from what was going to happen next?

I had flashes of Leomon falling to his knees, giving one last cry before disappearing in a breeze of data. My heart swelled, my eyes filled with hot tears and all I could do was stay there, frozen.

"Much better." Beastmon purred as a shadow rose up high above her head before lashing down toward me.

"Pyro Tornado!" A flaming pillar of orange came twisting onto the scene, and kicked one of the tentacles head on. I watched as it crippled into ash directly after contact and watched Beastmon clench her teeth.

The pillar disappeared and standing in it's place was a tall digimon with spiky yellow hair and red armor.

"Wha…what is that?" I breathed.

"Jeri!" Calumon threw himself at me again just as the digimon looked back at me.

"Kid, get out of here." The digimon said. It had clear blue eyes and I felt myself get hit with the same warmth that usually hit me whenever I looked into Takato's eyes. Safety. I could trust this digimon to get the job done and I couldn't help but smile at that.

"Another one." Beastmon growled. "How fortunate."

"They keep coming out of nowhere, boss." One of the Fugamon called.

"Why don't you boys handle the girl." Beastmon said. "I have this one."

"The Legendary Warrior of Fire? Agunimon?" Fugamon gasped. "The boss is strong."

"Watch me bring this one to his knees"! Beastmon shouted, five more tentacles shooting up from the dark shadow at her feet. I watched as all five launched themselves at the digimon, this Agunimon.

Once again Calumon's gem began to glow and his face crumpled.

Agunimon kicked and punched at the tentacles, dispelling them easily.

Beastmon chuckled sending another five and then another and soon all Agunimon was doing was kicking, punching, and dodging.

"Agunimon!" Calumon cried out, his gem glowing like fire.

"Jeri!" Kazu shouted.

In that moment, a tentacle wrapped itself around Agunimon's throat and an electric shock of dark energy shot through his body making him cry out.

I took that moment to get up and run as fast as I could through the smoke.

"Get the girl!" Beastmon screeched as I heard Agunimon crying out behind me. I shut my eyes, trying to blink away my hot tears, trying to blink away the sight of a perfect stranger falling to these…these…monsters. I hugged Calumon closer as I ran and dared a look over my shoulder.

The smoke and dust were dying down, not by much, but enough so that I could see Agunimon on his knees, his hands clawing at the tentacle around his neck. Each shock made his body go rigid, made him cry out. And then I saw his body grow smaller and it looked…human. A human had that black tentacle around his neck and around his body was a ring of data. Lying facedown in the dirt, he was weak and hurt and it didn't look like he was getting up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: **

**Nora**

"Welcome back friends!"

Infinity Mountain was home to hundreds of digimon of various sizes, all of which had greeted us with the same words and smiles on their faces. You could feel the friendliness in the air, practically taste it, and it was impossible to not smile in return.

This time our greeting came from a digimon that reminded of Mr. Thomas from Narnia. Part billy-goat and part-boy. Except, this digimon's animal parts were clad in shiny armor and he had a tattered red scarf around his neck, a feather-weight equally ratty vest and big white boxing gloves. He also looked like a kid and stood just below my chin. He beamed up at Katie and I, greeting our digimon as they passed except for Cutemon who launched himself into the his arms.

"Aegiomon!" Cutemon exclaimed happily.

"Cutemon! I see you've brought Renamon back to us!" Aegiomon smiled.

"As promised!" Cutemon beamed.

"It's like that little demon is a completely different person." I whispered to Katie and laughed and patted my shoulder.

"You two really don't like each other do you?" She said.

"He left me for dead." I said as I glared at Cutemon who was blissfully happy ignoring me as he hugged Aegiomon.

"I see you've brought friends." Aegiomon said.

"These are our partners, now." Dobermon said.

"Partners?" Aegiomon gasped, eyes wide and then looked between Renamon and Dobermon.

"My friends! What a surprise! A wonderful surprise. Chosen digimon! As I live and breath! Right before me!" Aegiomon's eyes twinkled. "It's simply wonderful!"

Renamon sighed and looked inside the mouth of the cave that Aegiomon called his home. "I smell someone else here."

"Oh yes a little before you all came another guest arrived. He is inside with his digimon." Aegiomon smiled. "A weary traveler who's been through a lot. He is Chosen as well, but not just any Chosen."

"Is he useless like these two?" Cutemon asked, throwing a finger back at Katie and I.

I felt my cheeks burn and Katie glared at him.

"Forget it. He's a monster." She grumbled.

"See." I grumbled back.

"How is he different?" Renamon asked.

"Because. He's an Original Chosen." Aegiomon said. "He's one of the first."

"That sounds important…" Katie mumbled.

"It sounds like we don't need to be here." I grumbled back.

…

Aegiomon gave us each tall glasses of iced water and inside the guest, the first Chosen child, was sitting at a wooden table across from a three foot tall orange dinosaur that looked like a t-rex but had arms that were way too long for one.

"This is Tai." Aegiomon said, motioning to the boy who eyed each of us before offering a smile.

"He doesn't look as epic as his title sounds." Renamon snorted before giving the boy her back and heading toward a corner.

I couldn't help but agree. First Chosen. First child in the Digital World. Ever. And though this kid was older, probably a senior in high school, he looked average. He wasn't toned, but he was lean. He was tall too, too big for the chair he sat on but I had a feeling so would Katie and I. If you asked me he looked like every other teenage boy, but his clothes were a little dirty. Which if more thought was put into it…for a boy…that wasn't…anything new.

"I'm Nora." I smiled.

"Katie." Katie said from behind me, watching the boy with careful eyes.

"Nice to meet you." Tai nodded and then nodded toward the dinosaur who waved at us. "This is Agumon, my partner."

"Tai, these young ladies are also Chosen. Just like you." Aegiomon said.

Tai didn't even arch an eyebrow, he merely nodded and looked down at the steaming cup of what looked like tea in his mug.

Aegiomon turned to Katie and I. "Please, friends. Make yourselves comfortable. I'll go and fetch some soup. Do talk amongst yourselves." With that he went down a hall and turned into another room. Just as the clatter of dishes colliding sounded, I eased down into the little couch as did Katie. Cutemon fed more wood to the burning fire and Dobermon curled into a ball to sleep.

"So…Tai. How did you…uhh get here?" I asked

Tai opened his mouth but only a breath of air left his lips. He looked at Agumon before looking at me.

"I went in through a portal."

"That's it?" Katie asked.

"I thought the portals were closed." I said.

"They are." Dobermon said.

"A friend of mine is pretty tech-savvy. He opened it and let a few of us went inside." Tai said and then scratched his head. "Only problem is I'm sure something went wrong and when I got here…nothing was what I remembered it to be and nothing…nothing was right."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Tai looked at me. "I'm pretty sure my friends and I got separated."

I nodded.

"Did you hear about the Darkness, _Tai_?" Renamon asked, stressing his name to the max.

Tai looked at her. "Yeah…I guess that's what worries me the most…my friend…my friend was talking about this before I left but it was so..so off I just didn't think something like that could happen, much less exist right under our noses."

"But now you're here to save us." Cutemon said.

"I was here to fix the cameras my friend uses to keep watch of the Digital World from our world and then…then this happened and I can't reach anyone." Tai said

I could see it then, the frustration digging under his skin and I couldn't help but feel for him. I didn't know what it could possibly feel like but I knew it could be frustrating.

"Have you fought against the Darkness, _Tai_?" Renamon asked again.

Tai looked at the table. "Yeah we have."

"But I can't stay digivolved for very long." Agumon sighed. "I don't know what's wrong."

"My digivice is acting up." Tai grumbled. "I'm hoping it's temporary so we can keep moving."

Aegiomon returned then with bowls of something steaming. He handed Katie and I a bowl and then went around to the digimon.

"It will get better, Tai. You just have to stay positive." Aegiomon said. "All will work out in the end friends. You are all here now, that means our worlds are one step closer to being safe."

"What's your plan, Tai?" Katie asked.

"To find my friends." Tai said.

"And then destroy the Darkness." Cutemon grinned.

Tai shrugged. "I will if I have to but my digivice isn't working. I can't do anything about that. All I can do is try to fix the cameras, find my friends and try to contact our other friends."

"That doesn't sound like he'll be doing much fighting." Katie said.

Tai looked at her. "Well, what are you two doing?"

I pulled at the fabric of my jeans. "Well…we…we're going to try and stop the Darkness. It's our responsibility now."

"Yeah and find the rest of our team." Katie chimed in.

Tai nodded. "Good luck."

"Do not be down, Tai." Aegiomon said. "I bet you Ophanimon would know how to fix your digivice."

"Aegiomon." Dobermon said. "She hasn't been seen in years."

"Ophanimon?" Tai repeated. "Where did she go?"

"What's an Ophanimon?" Katie asked.

"Ophanimon was a goddess digimon who ruled the land. I suppose she is what you would call our queen. She was kind and beautiful and so powerful. But the Darkness manifested itself and she disappeared." Aegiomon said.

"With good reason." Renamon said. "Darkness was hunting her anyway."

"Poor Ophanimon." Cutemon sighed.

"So she just disappeared, left everyone hanging?" I asked.

Aegiomon shook his head. "She is so powerful, protecting her from the Darkness was everyone's priority. There was no telling what they would do to her if they found her."

"So she's gone and no one knows where she is?" I asked.

"I think she put herself to sleep." Aegiomon said, easing down into an armchair by the front door. "I think she hid herself in a wasteland somewhere, buried herself deep in a cave and went to sleep."

"But she has to come back eventually." I said. "I mean she can't possibly leave you guys forever."

"True, but it's best that she is safe. If she is safe our world still has hope, plus the Darkness can't do much without her. They desperately needed her and now that she's gone it seems to have slowed them down." Aegiomon explained.

"So should we find her? I mean we are the Chosen ones." Katie said.

"She picked you all at the end of the day." Aegiomon said. "If she wants you all to find her, she will let you know. There will be a message somewhere."

"So we need to find everyone." Katie said. "Our whole team. I feel like that's the only way."

I nodded. It made sense. If she picked us all and we were the newest Chosen kids, it made sense for all of us to be together in order to have something, anything happen. Maybe a detailed map would appear when we were all together and it would lead us right to her.

"Well I think the old digimon was blind when she picked who was Chosen." Renamon said, rising to her feet and heading toward the front door.

"Renamon! Ophanimon chose us for a reason." Dobermon said.

"Tch." Renamon said, heading down the dark hall to the exit.

"Renamon! Where are you going?!" Cutemon called. "Renamon you can't leave! Not now!"

"Leave?" Katie gasped. "Hey, you can't leave your partner behind!"

"Renamon won't stray far." Aegiomon said, scooping Cutemon onto his lap.

"But the last time she left for days!" Cutemon said. "What if the Darkness finds her? They've already had contact with her thanks to the human."

Aegiomon shook his head. "It will be alright, Cutemon."

"What's her problem?" Tai asked. "She seems to have an attitude problem."

"That's how she always seems." Dobermon said. "But Renamon is kind."

"She seems flighty." Tai countered. "Not the kind of digimon you'd want by your side."

"She's not flighty." I said, feeling insulted. She had saved my life countless times and nothing about any of it was flighty.

"Then if she's not flighty and if all digimon know the importance of being Chosen, why is she running off? Where is she going?" Tai asked. "They know it's important to stand by their human's side. To protect them at all costs and there she goes out the door to do who knows what."

My cheeks blazed. "She's just going for a walk. She's coming back."

"Renamon has her ways." Aegiomon said, trying to ease the tension. "She'll come back for sure, Nora. You needn't worry."

"What's her deal though? She doesn't seem as excited to be Chosen as Dobermon was." Katie whispered to me.

"Renamon…" Dobermon grumbled. "She has a few problems but she'll come around."

"Problems?" I repeated.

"That's why she's here." Tai said, looking right at Aegiomon. "You said you're a sage of sorts. You said that digimon come from all around Infinity Mountain, from around the world to seek you out. They ask you for advice, for healing information."

Aegiomon nodded.

"So he's respected, one of the most respected digimon on this mountain." Cutemon said.

"Thank you, Cutemon." Aegiomon smiled and then sighed, closing his eyes. "I know quite a few digimon and yes they do come to me, but very few bury their ways into my heart. My home is very small but I have quite a few digimon friends, companions if you will. Dobermon was my first. Do you remember when we met?"

Dobermon chuckled. "I was a terrible monster. Always fighting, always starting. Always going. I was a traveler, Aegiomon. Then the Darkness came and I fought against them, a rebel without a purpose. I learned many lessons, endured many pains. I was no match for them but I threw myself recklessly into battle each time."

"He made it out by the skin of his teeth." Cutemon said.

I looked at him. "I'm pretty sure you messed up that saying."

"Either way, when I found Dobermon he was badly wounded in a field, close to death actually. He had such a lack of trust but he was unconscious and I dragged him back to my cave and patched him up. We spoke for a while, Dobermon always on the offensive. I knew he knew things about our world, had seen things that I had only heard of and could only imagine. Dobermon was worldly and was so used to living on the road that settling down was not in his bones." Aegiomon explained.

"So I set out again." Dobermon continued. "But I never forgot Aegiomon's kindness. I would find myself in the area and stop by to see my old friend. My friend, who taught me the importance of being kind and the importance of having a purpose especially when facing danger. I threw myself into battle before, not thinking of what could happen but now whenever I fight, I weigh the pros and cons and go with what my heart says."

"Listen to that," Aegiomon smiled warmly. "Listens to his heart! Improvement, my friends. Improvement, indeed."

"With your help." Dobermon said graciously.

"So you're both close?" Agumon asked.

Aegiomon nodded. "Next, I found Renamon and she was even rougher around the edges than Dobermon."

"Rougher?" Dobermon repeated. "You mean that she was confused."

Aegiomon laughed without humor. "I suppose."

"I don't get it." I said.

Aegiomon looked at me. "Let's just say Renamon was on the wrong side."

"Wrong side?" Katie repeated just as it hit me.

"She worked for the Darkness." I breathed.

"She was one of their Admins." Aegiomon said.

"Great." Tai said, his hands in fists on the table.

"So what makes you so sure we can trust her now?" Agumon asked, wary.

"She's changed." Aegiomon insisted. "She's come a long way."

"One of their Admins?" Katie asked. "What did she do?"

"She did whatever LadyDevimon told her to do. Helped destroy villages, digimon, capture humans…" Aegiomon sighed.

"Her heart was ice and she was good at it. She never failed. Did it all without breaking a sweat." Dobermon explained.

"Did you fight her?" Katie asked him.

Dobermon nodded. "One of my greatest opponents. I am Champion level, a level above Renamon, and yet she beat me to the ground with no problem at all."

"It's because Renamon has the strength of a Champion and sometimes even stronger if she hits them just right." Cutemon explained.

"There's no doubting her power but I had befriended her, helped heal her. I didn't know she was Darkness and I found her weak in the forest. I helped get her back on her feet and it was a trap, a trap she knew nothing about. The Darkness swept in, ready to capture me and that was the day something in Renamon shifted." Aegiomon said.

"She turned good." I breathed and realized I had been holding my breath this whole time, waiting for those exact words.

Aegiomon nodded slowly. "She found her path. Realized her path of senseless violence and pain and vowed to change it. The Darkness, the other generals, think it's short-lived but Renamon fights against them now, defending those she once targeted. She saved me that day and I am forever grateful to her. I can see the change in her, the lightness but…"

"But?" I repeated.

"You worry about her too?" Dobermon asked.

"Worry?" Aegiomon coughed. "I worry for her. She does not believe in herself. Does not believe in her path. She worries about her past and that has always been something that haunts her. She tries to move forward, tries her best to make decisions for the greater good but she feels the Darkness latching onto her. They all think it's a game and that she'll be back to her cruel ways any second and I have a feeling she believes it and is waiting for her body to act, to prove her wrong."

"But she needs to realize her body is attached to her mind and then to her heart. It comes from her will, who she is as a digimon. She has an opinion and I'm afraid she doesn't see that either." Dobermon said.

"How sad." Katie said, shaking her head.

I nodded and stared up at the entrance of Aegiomon's home. Renamon didn't believe in herself. She didn't have believe she could be good. She thought it was all short-lived, like some sort of switch that could be flicked off at any second. But there wasn't a switch, there was just her. She had to have faith in herself, had to have hope.

_Guardian of Hope_. The voice from my digivice rang in my head, made my chest warm. Renamon was lacking that and I was her partner. Which meant we were a team. Which meant we had to work together and her feelings were my feelings. Which meant, I had to work to change her feelings and sitting around talking about her wasn't going to get that done.

I pushed myself up to my feet and watched as all eyes landed on me.

"Where are you going?" Katie asked.

"To go and talk to Renamon." I said, heading toward the entrance.

"To tell her what?" Cutemon asked, not masking his suspicion.

I didn't answer. I just kept walking partly because I had no idea what I was going to say, I just knew she needed me and I would be a bad partner if I let her carry her emotions, her feelings and doubts and didn't try to help her make them better.

I realized, after everything that had happened to me, it was the least I could do. In fact, it was the only thing I felt I had a control over.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

**Tommy**

"WAKE UP! EVERYONE WAKE UP!"

It wasn't a sharp, desperate cry for help. It was a command. A harsh, command that jolted me from my sleep just as I felt the cold rushing in from the open door. A white light, the sun and snow, blinded me and all I could do was squint my eyes against the brightness.

"What's happening?" Jules whispered.

"That voice doesn't sound so nice." Moonmon shivered in Jules' lap.

"EVERYONE GET UP RIGHT NOW!" The same voice bellowed into the small cave.

"Where's Garurumon and Jijimon?" Ellie asked.

"They're not here." Tanemon yawned.

I looked to where the two had fallen asleep last night and sure enough the spot was empty. I shivered, hugging my blanket closer to me as I stood up.

"We should listen." Neemon said, shivering beside me. "They sound pretty serious."

"Who shouts like that so early in the morning?" Jules yawned, kicking off her blankets and heading toward the door with Moonmon in her arms.

"Wait, Jules we don't know who's out there." Ellie said, holding out a hand to grab her friend.

It was wasted energy because Jules swung around to scoff and at the same time four black shadows dove into the cave and grabbed us all harshly.

One shadow wrapped around my arm. Another wrapped itself around Ellie's waist. The other latched itself to Jules' legs and the last one caught Neemon by his ears. We stood silent for a moment, probably stunned, at least I felt that way. I blinked at the shadow on my arm and just as I opened my mouth to react, or cry out, the shadow pulled and we all went flying out of the cave, landing hard in the icy tundra outside.

"Oww!" Jules cried, falling face first into the snow.

"What's the big idea!?" She continued, pushing herself up, except when we all managed to look up we found ourselves surrounded. My vision was blurry at first but then everything came together and it didn't look good as my eyes followed the circle of purple-furred grizzly bears with big fangs and claws standing around us. Jijimon and Garurumon stood on the outskirts of the circle with what looked like a girl who looked a little younger than me, dressed in a white nun outfit with a bunny-eared cape. In her small hands she held a magnificently shiny lance that was twice her size and elaborate as well. In the blaring sunlight, it shined brightly and made me hold my breath.

"Good job, Jijimon and Garurumon." The bunny girl smiled.

"What's—what's going on?" Ellie asked, holding Tanemon closer to her.

Ellie looked at the bunny girl, and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "Doesn't matter. We won't be talking much."

"She's-she's-one of of th-the Dark-Darkness generals." Moonmon gasped.

"But she's just a little girl." Neemon whispered.

I pushed him behind me. "Neemon, she's not a girl." I grumbled, looking into her eyes and noticing that her pupils were black crosses. No human had eyes like that and if they didn't look like contacts. I balled my hands into tight fists, my hands sliding into my back pocket.

"Don't move another muscle." The bunny girl called. "I'm watching you, boy."

"His digivice doesn't work, so it would be fun to see what he thinks he can do." Jijimon laughed.

"Nothing." Garurumon chuckled darkly.

"Wait…I'm so confused." Ellie said, her brow coming together. "Jijimon what's happening?"

"He's not on our side." I growled. "He was just pretending."

"Pretending?" Ellie said.

"He was keeping us here, the two of them were. They were keeping us holed up here, promising us safety when they were just holding us here until their friends got here." I continued before glaring at Jijimon. "Am I right?"

"Spot on." Jijimon laughed, slapping his knee. "So bright."

"Such a shame it won't help him where he's going." The bunny girl nodded at the surrounding pack of bear digimon.

"Why are you doing this?" Ellie shouted. "We-we thought you were-were helping us!"

I could feel the cold then, just outside of the raging anger. I began to shiver hearing Ellie struggle.

"Yeah well then can't catch us if we run for it!" Jules whispered.

"Run where?" I snapped at her.

"Then someone has to serve as a distraction." Before I could form a response, I heard the sound of feet breaking through the snow and looked back to see Jules and Ellie running.

"Don't look at them. Get them." The bunny girl called. Two of the bear digimon ran after them as did Garurumon who jumped in front of the pack, leading them.

"You going to come quietly boy?" The bunny girl asked calmly. "It would be wise if you didn't give us a hard time."

I didn't have time to think and I also didn't have a direction to run. There was nothing for miles, something I could see even without the snow flurries blinding me. Jules and Ellie had chosen to run but where were they running to? Where could they go? Jijimon's house was the only thing for miles and I was sure of it.

But I pulled out my D-Tector anyway, gripping it in my fist as I glared at the bunny girl. I wasn't going to come quietly. It went against everything I stood for, everything my team stood for. No one would go quietly, everyone would put up a fight and I wasn't about to shame them all by being quiet.

I shivered, probably looking scared but convinced myself it wasn't so. I was just cold. And being cold had nothing to do with being able to fight back.

I held up my digivice, stretching my arm high above my head as I pulled myself together and forced the firmest look on my face.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

I could feel Kumamon's power flowing through my veins, feel our bodies, his essence and my physical form becoming one. A few seconds later as the power settled, the transformation complete, I opened my eyes and hardly felt the cold at all. I looked down at my green snow boots and stark white fur.

"Kumamon!" Neemon cheered, skittering behind me as I stood tall, feeling unafraid in my new skin. I had Kumamon's power. No, I was Kumamon. His power was mine and as one being we could handle these guys and much more. I couldn't help but smirk confidently as I looked at all the awed Grizzlymon and Jijimon.

"He transformed!" Jijimon gasped.

"Jules!" Ellie shouted and I looked back only to see the whiney girl falling face first into the snow, her digimon rolling out of her arms.

"I'll protect you, Ellie!" Tanemon shouted bravely, hopping out of Ellie's arms and glaring up at the Grizzlymon. I felt my hands ball into tight fists at my sides. There was no way it would be able to fight against these guys. Bearmon was on a completely different level and there as Garurumon as well.

I glared at the bunny girl. If I was going to save everyone, I didn't have much time. If we were going to get out of here, if we were going to have a chance of escaping, I had to be fast.

"So he transformed, big deal. Get him!" The bunny girl ordered.

"MAUL ATTACK!" One of the Grizzlymon bellowed as he charged toward me at full speed.

"Crystal Breeze!" I shouted, inhaling deeply before blowing out a powerful stream of cold wind that hit the Grizzlymon dead on and forcing him to stop in his tracks. He was frozen solid in an instant and I got my launcher ready as a few others charged right after him.

"Blizzard Blaster!" I shouted, pummeling the Grizzlymon with snowballs from the launcher. They groaned upon contact, but continued struggling to push through. It was all going good until a dark shadow loomed overhead and I looked up just in time to see the bunny girl in the air, her lance aimed right at me.

I gasped and shifted my blaster to hit her. The snowballs slammed into her and I watched as she disappeared in the blizzard of snow but also wasn't watching the Grizzlymon below. Which meant I didn't see until the last second when one of the Grizzlymon leaped into the air and rammed right into my chest.

"Kumamon!" Neemon shouted.

I slammed into the ground below, a little dazed and stunned and slight pain, but good nonetheless. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and watched as the girls were shoved into metal cages, tears shining in their eyes. Their digimon were in separate cages and they all looked incredibly weak.

"Kumamon!" Neemon shouted and I turned in time to see him struggling to get away from a Grizzlymon who had risen onto it's hind legs and was trying to grab him.

"I'm coming!" I shouted, getting my launcher ready once more.

"I don't think so." The bunny girl's voice drifted toward me from somewhere close and I swung around to face it, my eyes widening as some kind of black shadow wrapped around my neck. I gasped before I felt shocks ripple through my body and screamed in response.

"Tommy!" Ellie shouted.

"Ellie!" Jules screamed.

I felt my body fall back, limp. My eyes were trained on the cloudy sky above, my body riddled with so much pain after the shock of the shocking that I could hardly breathe. I could still feel the pressure of the shadow wrapped tightly around my neck, like a collar of some sort and my body was immobile.

Not that I wanted to move anyway. I was hurting too much. It was like I had been burned and my body refused to meet the fire again. I had had pain before but nothing like this and maybe the last time I was in the Digital World but that felt like ages ago. I had had pain probably worse than this but it had been a while since I had felt it and I could feel my desire to fight, my resilience, slipping away.

"Told you not to move boy." The bunny girl said and that was when I realized I wasn't Kumamon anymore.

His essence was gone and the cold came back in one swoosh, forcing my body to shudder. The bunny girl stepped into view, a smile on her pale face and she touched my face with the butt of her lance.

"See what happens when you try to be brave?"

Her lance lifted and I closed my eyes before feeling the sharp pain of it hitting me against the side of my head, Neemon's cries for help ringing loud in my ears as the girls screamed in the background and everything around me fell silent.


End file.
